:^  •as:'  .  X  .\\'.vrv 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE: 

COMPRISING 

UPWARDS    OF    A   THOUSAND    SCRIPTURAL    EVIDENCES, 

DIRECT,    ILLUSTRATIVE,     AND    COLLATERAL, 
OF  THE   DOCTRINE   OF 

THE  FINAL  SALVATION  OF  ALL  THE  HUMAN  FAMILY: 

DEMONSTRATING 

THE  BIBLE  TO  BE  A  UNIVERSALIST  BOOK: 

THE    SELECTIONS 

BEING    CLASSIFIED    CNDER    A    SERIES    OF    FIFTY    DISTINCT 

PROPOSITIONS,    VARIOUSLY    EXPRESSIVE    OF 

«'  THE    COMMON    SALVATION." 

CONSIDERABLY    ILLUSTRATED    WITH 

CRITICAL,  CONTROVERSIAL,  AND  PRACTICAL  REMARKS  j 

TOGETHER    WITH 

SCRIPTURAL  ANSWERS  TO  SEVERAL  POPULAR  OBJECTIONS. 

BEING 

ANOTHER    TESTIMONY    AGAINST    THE    SACRELIGIOU8 

AND  TRADITIONARY  ERRORS  PREVALENT  IN 

THE   CHRISTIAN    CHURCH. 


BY    J.  VICTOR  WILSON. 


'Be  ready  always  to  give  an  Answer  to  every  man  that  askelh  you  a  Rbasok 
OP  THE  Hope  that  is  in  you,  with  meekness  and  fear.' — St.  Peter. 

'Lei  the  word  of  Christ  dwell  in  you  richly,  in  all  wisdom.'— Col.  iii.  16. 

'Pray  that  the  word  of  the  Lord  may  have  free  cotrRSE,  and  be  glorified.' — 
i  Theas.  iii.  1. 

'Rightly  dividing  the  Word  op  Truth.' — 2  Tim.  ii.  15. 

'Open  Thou  mine  eyes,  lliat  I  may  behold  wondrous  things  out  of  Thy  Law.' — 
Pa.  cxix.  18. 

BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED   BY  THOMAS  WHITTEMORE,  37  CORNHILL. 
C.  L.  STICKNEY,  140  Fulton-St.,  New-York. 
J.  H.  GIHON,  113  Chesnut-St.,  Philad. 
J.  A.  GURLEY,  Cincinnati. 

1846. 


Enlered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  Year  1846, 

BY    J.    VICTOR    WILSON, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


CONTENTS. 


Preface,  .....  9 

Introduction, — (composed  in  Scripture  language,)  13 — 26 

ARGUMENTS  FROM  THE  DIVINE  DISPOSITION. 

Proposition  \.  Universal  Salvation  the  DESIRE  of  God. 
It  is  the  Desire,  aisO;  of  all  good  men,  of  Christ,  and  of 
the  Angels.  This  Desire  shall  be  universally  realized. 
Free  Agency  Objection  answered,  27 41 

Prop,  II.  Universal  Salvation  is  the  PURPOSE  of  God. 
This  Purpose  shall  be  fully  accomplished.  Objection 
answered,  ....  ^j ^^ 

Prop.  III.  Universal  Salvation  the  WILL  of  God.  The 
Divine  Will  shall  prevail.     Objection  answered,    55 Q5 

Prop.  IV.  Universal  Salvation  the  PROMISE  of  God. 
This  Promise  shall  be  completely  fulfilled.  Conditionality 
Objection  answered,  -  -  .  (55 75 

Prop.  V.  The  Apostles  recognized  this  PnoMisE  op  the 
Patriarchal-  Covenant,  as  one  of  the  main  pillars  of 
Gospel  Faith.     Objection  answered,  -  76 g^ 

Prop.  VI.  God  has  Sworn  an  OATH,  in  confirmation  of 
His  Promise.     This  Oath  shall  surely  be  performed, 

87— S9 

Prop.  VII.     God  has  issued  a  COMMAND  for  Universal 

Salvation.     All  the  Commandments   of  God   certain   of 

ultimate  obedience.     Argument  for    Universal  Salvation 

from  THE  Law  of  God.     Objection  answered,      90 100 

Prop.  VIII.  Universal  Salvation  the  PLEASURE  of  God. 
The  Divine  Pleasure  shall  be  fully  consummated.  Ob- 
jection answered,  -  -  .  101 106 


IV  CONTENTS. 

FROM  THE  OFFICES  OF  CHKIST,  AND  NATUKE  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

Prop.  IX.  Universal  Salvation  was  the  Object  of 
Christ's  Mission.     His  Object  cannot  fail,         106 — 110 

Prop.  X,  The  Death  of  Cliri^sl  was  for  Universal  Salva- 
tion. His  atonement  will  be  effectual  for  the  Redemption 
of  All,  ....  111—113 

Peop.  XI.  All  Mankind  the  Body  and  Possession  of 
Christ.  He  shall  retain,  preserve,  and  redeem,  all  his 
purchased  Possession,  -  -  113 — 116 

Prop.  XII.  Mankind  a  Universal  Brotherhood,  who  are 
all,  without  Distinction,  included  in  the  scheme  of  Re- 
demption, .  -  -  -  no — 118 

Prop.  Xlll.  All  Men  are  Sinners.  Salvation  shall  be 
co-extensive  with  Sinfulness,  -  119 — 121 

Prop.  XIV.  Eternal  Blessedness  is  not  of  works,  but  of 
the  iujpnrtial  Grace  of  God.  The  Grace  of  God  shall 
efleclually  accomplish  Universal  Salvation,        121 — 124 

Prop.  XV.  Salvation  not  the  Reward  of  superior  merit, 
but  the  Gift  of  God.  It  is  a  Free,  Universal  Gift,  and 
not  an  offer,  merely,  but  a  Gift  that  shall  he  realized  hy 
All,  ....  125—128 

Prop.  XVI.  The  Church  of  Chuist  shall  eventually  be- 
come Universal,  -  -  -  129 — 131 

Prop.  XVII.  All  shall  ultimately  Serve  and  Adore  the 
Lord,  -  -  -  131—134 

Prop.  XVIII.  All  shall  finally  be  Subdued  and  Reconcil- 
ed to  God,  through  Christ,  -  -         134 — 137 

J*rop.  XIX.  Christ  shall  Reipn  until  All  shall  come  lo 
Repentance  and  Salvation  from  Sin,  138 — 141 

Prop.  XX.  All  who  Need  to  be  delivered  from  the  thral- 
dom of  Evil,  shall  be  Saved,  -         -  142—144 

Prop.  XXI.  As  many  as  have  fallen  through  Adam,  shall 
be  Restored  by  Christ,  -  -  144 — 146 

Prop.  XXII.     All  the  Jews  shall  inherit  Salvation,         147 

Prop.  XXIIl.  All  the  generations  of  the  Gentiles  shall 
come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Truth,  -  148 

Prop.  XXIV.     All  the  Material  Creation  shall  eventually 


CONTENTS.  V 

be    glorified,    which  is  typical  of  the  universal  purification 
of  the  Spiritual,  ...  149 — 151 

FROM  THE  EXTINCTION  OF  ALL  EVILS. 

Prop.  XXV.  SIN  shall  finally  be  destroyed.  The  Dev- 
il,— Temptation,  shall  be  annihilated,  151 — 156 

Prop.  XXVI,     Sorrow  and  Pain  shall  be  put  away,       156 

Prop.  XXVII.  Ignorance  and  Error  shall  be  turned  into 
Universal  Truth  and  Knowledge,  -  157 — 158 

Prop.  XXVIII.  Death,  natural  and  moral,  shall  be  swal- 
lowed up  of  spiritual  Life  and  Immortality,       159 — 161 

Prop.  XXIX.  Hell  shall  be  overcome  and  abolished. 
Conjectures  concerning  Hades  as   an  Intermediate  State. 

161—167 

FROM  THE  TRIUMPH  OF  GOOD  OVER  EVIL. 

Prop.  XXX.  The  Lord  is  as  solicitous  for  the  Salvation  of 
His  creatures  after  DEATH,  as  before,         -         16S — 171 

Prop.  XXXI,  The  work  of  Salvation  shall  continue  to  go 
on,  as  long  as  Sin  shall  exist,  -  171 — 173 

Prop.  XXXII.  The  Resurrection  shall  glorify  the  whole 
human  family,  every  man  in  his  own  order,  in  the  like- 
ness of  Christ  and  the  Angels,  -  173 — 178 

Prop.  XXXIII.  Divine  Punishments  are  Parental,  merciful. 
Reformatory,  They  are  sure.  They  are  never  meted 
by  proxy  to  other  than  the  transg-ressor.  They  are  speed- 
ily awarded.  Appertain  to  the  place  and  time  where  sin 
is.  Are  ]\\?,\\'^  proportional  to  offences.  Are  for  human 
sake,  because  our  sinning  cannot  injure  God.  Are  sub- 
duing, melting,  reconciling, — not  retaliative,  cruel,  or 
useless,  -  -  -  179—193 

Prop.  XXXIV.  Evil  was  ordained  by  Divine  Wisdom  to 
exist  for  a  season,  as  a  means  for  the  attainment  of  high- 
er good.  God  overrules  all  evil  for  good.  Objection 
stated  and  answered  in  language  of  Scripture,  194 — 200 


CONTENTS. 


FROM  THE    DIVINE  ATTRIBUTES. 

Prop.  XXXV.  Universal  Redemption  the  fruit  of  God's 
in(inite(JooDXESs,  -  -  -  200—20.3 

Pi-op.  XXXVI.  Universal  Redemption  the  result  of  infi- 
nite Mkkcy,  -  -  -  201—208 

Prop.  XXXVIl.  Universal  Rcdeinplion  the  Consequence 
ofintinite  Justice.  Argument  for  the  same,  comprised 
in  a  nnmeroas  class  of  Scriptures  concerning  the  Great, 
Spiritual,  Messianic  Day  of  Judgment,  established  at 
the  commencement  of  Christ's  King-dom  ;  in  which  he 
shall  continue  to  reign  and  rule,  until  All  shall  be  Sub- 
dued unto  him,  -  -  -  208—217 

Prop.  XXXVill.  Universal  Redemption  the  aim  of  infinite 
Wisdom.  .  _  .  -  217—222 

Prop.  XXXIX.  Universal  Redemption  the  effect  of  infi- 
nite Power.  -  -  -  222—225 

Prop.  XL.  Universal  Redemption  follows  from  the  Om- 
nipresence of  God,  -  -  225 — 226 

Prop.  XLI.  Universal  Redemption  deduced  from  the  in- 
finite Truth  of  God,  under  four  heads,  viz:  Faithful- 
ness, Impartiality ,  Veracity,  and  Unchangeability, 

227—232 

Prop.  XLII.  Universal  Redemption  the  issue  of  infinite 
Holiness,  -  -  -  232—233 

Prop.  XLI II.  Universal  Redemption  the  achievement  of 
infinite  Love,  ...  233 — 235 

FROM  the  divine  RELATIONS  TO  MAN. 

Prop.  XLIV.     As  the  Universal  CREATOR,  God  will  be 

the  Redeemer  of  All,  -  -  235—237 

Prop.  XLV.     As  the    Universal    FATHER,    He   is   the 

Friend,  and  will  be  the  Saviour  of  All,  238-240 

Prop.  XLVI.     As  the  Universal  GOVERNOR,   God   will 

ultimatelv  triumph  over  all  evil,  -  240 — 243 

Prop.  XLVII.     The  Lord  is  a  PHYSICIAN,  REFINER, 

and  PURIFIER  for  All  the  souls  of  Men,        244—249 


CONTENTS.  VM 

THREE    COLLATERAL    ARGUMENTS, 

Prop.  XLVIII.  The  Elect  are  the  Earnest  and  First- 
Fruits  of  the  final  Ingathering  of  All  Things  in  Christ, 

250—254 

Prop.  XLIX.  The  highest  Moral  Precepts  of  the  Chris- 
tian Religion  are  only  in  harmony  with  the  sentiment  of 
Universal  and  Eternal  Grace,  -  254 — 259 

Prop.  L.  The  dogma  of  Endless  Sin  and  Misery  is  lit- 
erally CONTRADICTED  in  the  Scriptures,  260 — 261 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

A  UmvERSALisT  Creed,  written  by  St.  Paul,  Minister  of 
the  Everlasting  Gospel,  -  -  262 

Table  of  the  Scriptural  expressions  of  Universality,  (80,) 
with  references  to  the  places  where  they  afTord  the  direct 
and   inferential    Proofs   of  Universal  Redemption, 

263—269 

Chapter  of  Bible  Statistics.  -  -  270 — 272 

Paucity  and  weakness  of  the  assumed  Scriptural  grounds 
of  Endless  Misery,  -  -  -  273—284 

Scriptural  Demonstration  of  the  frequent  limited  significa- 
tion of  the  Words  'Forever,^  ^Everlasting,'  <^c.  285 — 293 

Comparison  of  the  three  grand  systems  of  Theology  which 
divide  the  Christian  Church, — Calvinism,  Arminianism, 
and  Universalism,  ...  294 — 312 


PREFACE. 


The  Destiny  of  Mankind, — a  theme  supremely  vast, 
immensely  important,  and  •  universally  interesting, — is  the 
subject  upon  which  this  humble  messenger  would  fain  pre- 
tend to  impart  an  additional  measure  of  instruction,  hope, 
and  consolation,  to  those  who  aspire  to  the  blessed  realms  of 
immortality.  Yet  it  claims  to  be  no  unerring  guide,  or  ora- 
cle of  truth,  concerning  so  lofiy  a  theme.  Its  message  is 
but  second-hand,  and  therefore  may  often  fail  to  speak  the 
words  of  wisdom.  It  hath  itself  been  taught  by  another, 
but  that, — a  teacher  from  whom  it  is  impossible  that  any 
learner  shall  go  away  unenriched, — even  the  Sacred 
Book  or  God.  If  thou  would'st  therefore  know  still  more, 
dear  reader,  and  yet  more  surely,  concerning  this  propitious 
subject,  go  to,  thyself,  with  the  assurance  that  this  source  of 
know'edge  is  not  so  easily  exhausted  of  its  treasures,  and 
study  of  that  which  is  able  to  teach  the  wisest  of  the  wise. 

This  is  another  of  those  books  which  have  originated  in 
the  necessities  of  private  convenience  ;  in  the  compilation 
of  which,  before  half  completed,  the  subject  grew  more  and 
more  fertile,  attendant  with  a  corresponding  augmentation  of 
pleasure  and  profit,  until  the  usefulness  which  it  afforded  to 
its  progenitor,  induced  the  desire  and  purpose  of  placing 
its  conceived  advantages  in  the  possession  of  others. 

The  Scriptural  Argument  for  Universal  Salvation, — that 


PREFACE. 


sentiment  which  is  engaging  the  affections,  the  zeal,  and 
becominof  the  fondest  theme,  of  so  many  philanthropic  souls, 
— is  confessedly,  the  most  important  and  the  most  formi- 
dable department  of  our  defence.  And  it  is  by  this,  chiefly, 
and  most  effectually,  that  we  must  expect  to  conquer.  Be- 
lievers in  the  opposite  doctrines,  who  have  been  carefully 
taught  from  earliest  infancy,  to  love  and  reverence  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  cannot  have  their  prejudices  and  misgivings 
against  the  truth  of  an  Impartial  God  of  Salvation,  entirely 
dissipated,  until  they  are  shown  how  thoroughly  that  doc- 
trine is  sustained  in  the  Bible,  and  how  utterly  insufficient 
is  the  evidence  which  is  drawn  from  the  Bible  to  establish 
so  contrary  a  gospel  as  Endless  Misery.  With  such  believ- 
ers, the  most  eloquent  and  logical  appeals  to  the  mind  and 
conscience,  are  of  no  avail  in  comparison  with  a  pointed  and 
palpable  testimony  drawn  from  that  Book,  which  is  highest 
in  their  affections,  and  the  standard  of  their  reason.  A 
book  or  other  writing  in  favor  of  Universal  Salvation,  is 
greatly  more  apt  to  receive  a  hearing  from  the  cunilid  uf  our 
opposers,  if  it  be  plentifully  fortified  with  Scripture. 

This  consideration  was  one  inducement  tc  the  preparation 
of  a  work  like  the  present,  which  is  designed  to  exhibit  in 
a  peculiar  and  especial  manner,  a  connected  scries  of  the 
Reasons  for  our  Hope,  that  may  be  perspicuously  drawn 
from  the  Scriptures.  Many  other  incomparable  treatises 
on  the  distinguishing  doctrine  of  our  Faith,  have  been  pub- 
lished, which  are  built  up,  body  and  soul,  upon  the  Bible. 
Yet  we  have  a  confidence,  that  a  succinct,  separate,  and  full 
presentation  of  the  purely  Scriptural  grounds  of  our  doctrine, 
is  an  essential  work  ;  that  the  arrangement  of  this  book  will 


oe 


PREFACE.  XI 


not  be  found  to  cover  entirely  pre-occupied  ground ;  and  that 
some  such  classification  as  is  herein  adopted,  is  calculated 
to  bring  together  a  greater  phalanx  of  solid  proof,  and  in  a 
more  complete  and  forcible  manner,  than  the  promiscuous 
way  in  which  the  Scriptural  Evidences  of  Universalism 
are  most  generally  exhibited. 

With  regard  to  the  opinions  on  points  of  doctrine  minor 
to  the  main  question,  which  this  work  av  iws,  we  cannot 
affirm  that  the  whole  Denomination,  or  even  the  majority, 
is  always  represented.  Universalists,  like  other  Protes- 
tant persuasions,  have  well  defined  the  principles  upon 
which  they  must  agree,  in  contradistinction  to  those  upon 
which  they  may  differ.  Free-Agency  is  the  chief  of  va- 
riable questions,  in  all  systems  of  divinity  ;  and  with  res- 
pect to  this,  we  have  had  much  occasion  in  the  course  of 
our  book,  to  declare  convictions  of  the  Calvinistic  order, 
which  probably  agrees  with  the  largest  half  of  our  de- 
nominational mind,  on  this  perplexing  subject;  for  it  is  well 
known  that  there  are  Calvinistic  and  Arminian  Universa- 
lists, as  well  as  Calvinistic  and  Arminian  Endless  Miseri- 
aiis, — though  that  nominal  distinction  is  not  usually  recog- 
nized. The  former  have  always  the  strongest  mass  of 
Scripture  at  their  command ;  the  latter  are  most  distin- 
guished for  their  superior  skill  in  the  department  of  philo- 
sophical reasonings  and  metaphysics.  If  the  former  are  the 
most  lucid,  definite,  matter-of-fact.  Scriptural,  and  vehement 
advocates  of  Universalism,  and  entertain  the  most  practical 
views  of  religion, —  the  latter  are  perhaps  the  most  learned, 
profound,  speculative,  and  spiritual.  With  the  latter  body 
of  Universalists,  the  Unitarian  Denomination,  as  far  as  the 
dogma  of    Eternal  Evil  is  discarded,  is  identical.      And 


jai  PBEFACE. 

this  fact  impresses  us  with  a  strong  presentiment,  that  at  no 
very  distant  period  in  the  future,  these  two  larp^e  and  assim- 
ilating  branches    of   Christendom  will   be  joined   in   one, 
but  respectively  recognised  as  Calvinistic    and    Arminian 
Universalists.     And  we  take  this  occasion  to  remark,  that 
although  all  Universalists  possess  a  bias  more  or  less  fixed, 
for  either  the  Calvinistic  or  the  Arminian  plan  for  Universal 
Salvation  to  be  accomplished,  and   although  that  doctrine  is 
equally  tenable  and  consistent  from  either  class   of  princi- 
ples ;    yet  it  is  so  utterly  beyond  the  stretch  of  human  wis- 
dom to  determine  where  the  truth  ends  and  the  error  begins, 
in  each, — to  define  the  true  connection    and   dependence  of 
what  is  truth  in  both, — that  it  is  impossible  to  find  a  Calvin- 
istic Universalist  who  will    not   often  unconsciously   speak 
the  native  tongue  of  Arminianism  ;    or  an   Arminian   Uni- 
versalist who  will  not  necessarily,  upon  occasion,  give  utter- 
ance to  sentiments  that  more  appropriately  belong  to  Calvin- 
ism.    And  this  is  just  as  true  of  Orthodox   Calvinists  and 
Arminians,  as  Universalist. 

Let  no  one,  for  literary  criticism,  open  this  book,  that  is 
of  so  unclassical  a  kind,  that  has  for  its  object  so  different  a 
thing  than  the  gratification  of  taste, — even  the  elevation  of 
the  mortal  conceptions  and  affections  concerning  realities 
divine.  Let  it  be  read  in  search  for  gems  of  truth,  not  for 
gems  of  thought,  and  we  have  a  trust  that  the  reader  may 
be  not  altogether  disappointed  in  the  pursuit.  Pass  indul- 
gently over  mere  errors  of  word,  and  seek  to  detect  errors  of 
principle.  Remember  that  the  Bible,  and  not  belles-lettres 
is  our  theme  ;  and  then  make  the  maxims  and  deductions 
of  that  precious  Volume  the  criterion  by  which  to  pass  sen- 


PREPAO&  XUl 

tence  upon  it ;  but  not  the  conventional  delicacies  of  proso- 
daic  science. 

Tlie  Poetical  Selections  with  which  each  chapter  of  our 
book  is  accompanied,  though  they  were  mainly  inserted  for 
the  j-urpose  of  relieving  the  monotony  of  Scripture  extracts, 
we  value  not  as  the  least  considerable  in  importance  of  this 
work's  contents.  While  they  are  not  all  truly  poetical,  nor 
always  well  adapted  to  the  subjects  with  which  we  have 
associated  them,  yet  we  are  sure  that  the  most  of  them  are 
of  such  a  character,  and  especially  those  which  have  been 
derived  from  the  Parnassian  wealth  of  Bailey's  'Festus,' 
confessedly  the  grandest  poetical  production  of  our  age, — 
we  are  sure  that  our  readers  will  prize  the  possession  of 
these  extracts  more  than  volumes  of  expositor)?  prose,  of 
which  species  of  matter  it  was  one  design  of  these  selec- 
tions to  take  place.  It  will  be  observed  that  we  have  quo- 
ted none  but  which  express  the  high  sentiments  of  Univer- 
salism,  and  from  but  few  authors  who  have  been  interes- 
ted in  nominal  Universalism.  The  variety  and  eminence  of 
these  authors,  together  with  the  character  of  the  citations, 
well  illustrate  the  following  remark  of  Mr.  Sawyer  : — 
"  The  genius  of  all  true  poetry  is  essentially  congenial  with 
Universalism.  "*  *  The  spirit  of  poetry  is  the 
spirit  of  beauty  and  love,  caught  by  the  poet's  eye  in  every 
thing.  He  sees  a  Divine  hand  every  where  ;  he  traces  a 
Father's  love  in  all  the  ways  of  Providence.  And  it  is  one 
of  the  conditions  of  a  lofty  poetical  mind,  that  it  beholds  so 
much  wisdom  and  goodness  in  all  God's  works  and  wajifci" 
as  to  feel  a  divine  confiderce  in  it.'"^ 

The  chief  proposition   with  which  we  have   begun  this 


•Rev.  T.  J.  Sawter's  'Endlees  Punishment,'  p.  59-60. 


XtV  PR4FACB. 

work,  namely,  that  The  Bible  is  a  Universalist  Book, 
may  be  very  startling^  to  some,  and  very  shocking  especially 
to  thousands  who  have  been  taught  to  believe  that  Universa- 
lism  is  every  thing  wicked  and  abominable,  and  nothing 
that  is  good.  By  this  general  proposition,  we  mean  to  as- 
sert that  the  Bible  clearly  and  abundantly  contains  the 
principles  and  theory  of  Univers?)>ism  ;  that  it  comprises  no 
doctrines  which  are  opposite  to,  or  inconsistent  with,  the 
Univcrsalian  religion  or  philosophy;  that  its  prime  Author, 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  its  instrumental  authors,  the  prophets 
and  apostles,  were  ever  actuated  in  its  revelation,  by  the 
influence  of  those  two  great,  all-comprising  truths  of  our 
Faith,  the  Universal  Fatherhood  of  God, — the  Universal 
Brotherhood  of  Man.  Who  will  not  confess  the  perfect 
propriety  of  calling  that  a  Universalist  Book,  which  so 
profusely  teaches  us  of  a  Universal  Creator,  a  Universal 
Father,  a  Universal  Governor,  a  Universal  Redeemer,  a 
U  niversal  Familyhood,  a  Universal  Gospel,  a  Universal, 
Omnipresent  Spirit,  a  Universal  Resurrection,  a  Universal 
Re-Creation,  a  Universal  Salvation,  a  Universal  Subjection, 
a  Universal  Adoration,  a  Universal  prevalence  of  Good, 
a  Universal  extermination  of  Evil,  a  Universal  Law  of  Love, 
Universal  sinfulness  and  unbelief,  a  Universal  Judgment, 
a  Universal  Repentance  and  Reconciliation,  a  Universal 
Church,  a  Universal  Gift,  a  Universal  Atonement,  Univer- 
sal Grace,  Universal  Goodness  and  Mercy,  and  a  Universal 
Blessedness?  And  of  all  this,  besides  a  great  deal  more, 
dofve  expect  to  convince  the  candid  reader,  in  the  course  of 
our  book,  by  plain  presentations  of  the  Scripture  testimony. 
To  conclude  this  subject,  we  will  make  one  more  observa- 


PREFACE.  XV 

tion,  which  we  address  particularly  to  the  believer  of  Par- 
tial Salvation.  Suppose  the  advocates  of  Endless  Misery- 
were  in  possession  of  a  Divine  Revelation,  which  should 
leach  them  with  the  clearness  of  light,  that  the  disposition 
of  God  towards  His  creatures  was  such,  the  He  had  no  De- 
sire, Purpose,  Will,  or  Pleasure,  that  all,  but  only  a  part, 
should  be  saved ;  that  Christ  came  not  to  save,  nor  to  die 
for,  all,  but  a  part  only  ;  that  the  ministration  of  the  Spirit 
of  Grace  is  for  a  part  of  mankind,  exclusively  ;  that  the 
eternal  Love,  and  Goodness,  and  Mercy  of  God,  only  em- 
brace n  moiety,  but  not  the  mass,  of  human  kind ;  that 
Justice  is  an  attribute  of  damnation,  and  that  "Wisdom,  and 
Holiness  shall  be  glorified  by  eternal  damnation,  as  well  as 
by  eternal  redemption  ;  that  all  Punishment  is  in  the  future 
life,  that  it  is  never  remedial,  merciful,  and  disciplinary,  but 
absolutely  endless  as  God's  own  being;  that  the  devil  and 
his  works,  that  sin,  that  pain  and  anguish,  that  ignorance, 
unbelief,  and  imperfection,  that  death  and  hell,  shall  all  be 
sustained  and  continued  as  long  as  God,  goodness,  happi- 
ness, knowledge,  and  salvation ;  that  millions  shall  never 
repent,  or  become  morally  subject  unto  God,  nor  ever  serve 
and  worship  him ;  that  salvation  is  wrought  only  in  this 
world,  and  if  not  obtained  here,  that  God  will  at  death  aban- 
don the  soul  forever;  that  God  created  a  hell  in  the  begin- 
ning, and  fixed  endless  torments  the  penalty  of  sin  at  the 
dawn  of  creation  ;  and  superadded  to  all  this,  suppose  that 
Revelation  to  be  filled  with  infinitely  profound  lamentations 
of  the  Lord,  that  the  creature  wills  of  myriads  shall  eternally 
prevail  against  His  own,  and  nullify  the  intentions  and  de- 
sires of  His  nature ;  that  Evil  is  an  unconquerable  princi- 
ple, and  the  King  of  Evil  an  immortal  King,  whose  mischief 


XVi  PREFACE. 

never  shall  be  remedied,  whose  booty  never  can  be  rcgairt- 
ed  ; — suppose,  I  say,  that  the  doctrine  of  endless  woe  wa^' 
distinctly  declared  in  this  Revelation  in  all  this  variety  of 
aspect  and  phraseology', — and  moreover,  that  it  flowed  as 
naturally  from  sound  reason,  and  from  the  teachings  of  na- 
ture, as  from  the  revealed  attributes  and  course  of  Provi- 
dence,— then  would  not  endless  misery  be  nndo7ihtedly  the 
truth,  and  would  not  that  Revelation  be  An  Orthodox' 
Book  ?  The  answer  is  a  unanimous  Yea  !  Well,  then,  if 
in  the  course  of  this  volume  we  succeed  in  proving  exactly* 
the  reverse  of  each  one  of  these  particulars,  with  respect  \6 
our  own  Revelation,  will  you  not  fairly  concede  the  same 
thing  to  Universalism,  namely,  that  the  Bible  is  a  Univer- 
iolist  Book  ? 


INTRODUCTION. 

'Come  now,  and  let  us  reason  together.'  'Let  us  choose  to 
ourselves  wliat  is  right  ;  let  us  know  among  ourselves  what 
is  good.'  Let  us  'judge  even  of  ourselves  vv^hat  is  right  ;' 
let  us  'Prove  all  things,  and  hold  fast  that  which  is  Good/ 
Let  us  'Believe  not  every  spirit,  but  try  the  spirits,  whether 
they  are  of  God — [worthy  of  Him,  and  in  accordance  with 
His  creation,  providence,  and  word,] — because  many  False 
Prophets  are  gone  out  into  the  world.'  'The  wisdom  of 
this  world  is  foolishness  with  God,'  and  'is  earthly,  sensual, 
devilish.'  'But  the  wisdom  that  is  from  above,  is  first 
pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,  and  easy  to  be  entreated,  full 
of  mercy  and  good  fruits,  without  paktiality,  and  without 
hypocrisy.'  'The  simple  believeth  every  word  ;  but  the 
prudent  man  looketh  well  to  his  going  ;  a  wise  man  feareth 
and  departeth  from  wrong.'  'The  simple  inherit  folly  ;  but 
the  prudent  are  crowned  with  knowledge.'  'Every  prudent 
man  dealeth  with  knowledge.'  'Beware  lest  any  man  spoil 
you  through  [pretencive]  philosophy  and  vain  conceit,  after 
THE  TRADITION  OF  MEN,  after  the  rudiments  of  the  world, 
and  not  after  Christ.' 

'What  saith  the  Scripture  V  'To  the  law  and  to  the 
Testimony,  [then  ;]  if  they  speak  not  according  to  this  word, 
it  is  because  there  is  no  light  in  them.'  'Lo  !  this  that  we 
have  searched  out  is  true  ;  hear  it,  and  know  thou  it  for  thy 

A 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

good.'  'I  think  myself  happy  because  I  shall  answer  for 
myself  this  day  touching  all  the  things  whereof  we  are  ac- 
cused.' *'I  would  seek  unto  God,  and  unto  God  would  I 
commit  my  cause.'  '0  that  I  might  speak  to  the  Almighty  ; 
and  I  would  have  confidence  in  arguing  my  cause  before 
God.  For  truly,  ye  are  forgers  of  sophisms  ! — Physicians 
of  no  value,  all  of  you  !  O,  that  ye  would  be  entirely  silent, 
and  it  would  be  to  your  wisdom  !  Hear,  I  pray  you,  my 
reasoning,  and  attend  to  the  arguments  of  my  lips.  Would 
ye  speak  falsely  for  God  ?  for  Him  will  ye  utter  fallacy  ? 
Do  ye  flatter  yourselves  that  ye  can  deceive  Him  or  evade 
His  searching,  as  man  deceiveth  his  fellow  man  ?  Surely 
He  will  rebuke  you  if  ye  secretly  have  respect  to  persons. 
Should  not  His  excellency  restrain  you,  and  His  majesty 
fill  you  with  awe  ?  Your  remembrances  of  Him  are  as 
the  light  ashes,  and  your  conceptions  as  the  rotten  clay. — 
Hold  peace,  and  let  me  speak,  and  then  let  anything  come 
upon  me  !  In  regard  to  this,  I  will  take  my  flesh  in  my 
teeth  and  my  life  in  my  hand, — yea,  though  He  slay  me,  yet 
will  I  trust  in  Him  ;  I  will  still  vindicate  my  cause  before 
Him,  and  He  also  shall  be  my  salvation.  Attentively  hear 
my  words,  and  to  my  doctrine  give  ear.  Behold,  now,  I 
have  set  in  order  my  cause,  I  know  that  I  shall  be  justified. 
Who  is  he  that  will  plead  with  me  ?  for  I  shall  guide  my 
tongue,  and  in  the  truth  I  will  give  up  the  ghost.'     'If  it  be 


*In  many  of  these  passagps  from  the  book  of  Job,  the  improved  translation 
of  Mr.  Barnes  ia  chiefly  followed,  in  preference  to  the  Bometimes  less  ex- 
pressive construction  of  the  common  text.  It  may  be  aH  well  also 
10  observe  here,  that  the  renderings  of  quite  a  number  of  passn^jes  cited 
in  the  course  of  this  work,  are,  upon  the  best  authorities,  varied  from  the 
Elundard  King  James'  version;  though  in  general,  and  on  the  whole,  Uni- 
versalists  are  no  more  at  variance  with  the  venerable  English  Bible  as  it 
is,  than,  and  in  some  cases  not  hall  so  much,  as,  other  pergiiasions. 


INTRODUCTION.  ^^ 

not  true  now,  who  will  confute  me,  and  show  my  argument 
to  be  worthless  V  'If  thou  can'st,  answer  me ;  set  thy  words 
in  array  before  me, — stand  firm  ."  'Produce  your  cause  ; 
bring  forth  your  strong  reasons.  Let  them  bring  them 
forth,  and  show  us  what  shall  happen.  Let  them  show  the 
former  things  what  they  be,  that  we  may  consider  them,  and 
know  the  latter  end  of  them  ;  and  declare  to  us  things  to 
come,  and  show  the  things  that  are  to  come  hereafter,  that 
we  may  knotv  that  ye  are  gods.'  'Teach  me,  and  I  will 
hold  my  tongue  ;  and  cause  me  to  understand  wherein  I 
have  erred.'  'But  I  beheld,  and  there  was  no  man  ;  even 
among  them  there  was  no  counsellor,  that  when  I  asked  of 
them  could  answer  a  word  !  Behold,  they  are  all  vanity  !' 
•MENE  :  God  hath  numbered  thy  kingdom  and  finished  it. 
TEKEL  :  Thou  art  weighed  in  the  balances  and  art  found 
wanting.' 

'  Therefore  we  both  labor  and  suffer  reproach  :  because 
we  trust  in  the  Living  God  ;  who  is  the  Saviour  of  All 
Men,  especially  of  those  who  believe'  [Him  thus  to  be,  for 
their  salvation  is  already  entered  upon.]  But,  'Charity 
beareth  all  things,  believeth  all  things  [that  appertain  to 
the  Gospel  of  Glad  Tidings,]  hopeth  all  things,  endureth 
all  things.'  'And  we  have  also  a  more  sure  word  of  proph- 
ecy whereunto  ye  do  well  that  ye  take  heed,  as  unto  a  light 
that  shineth  in  a  dark  place,  until  the  day  dawn,  and  the 
day-star  arise  in  your  hearts  ;  knoioing  this  first,  that  No 
Prophecy  of  Scripture  is  of  any  private,  [selfish,  limited,] 
INTERPRETATION.'  'The  Weapons  of  our  warfare  are  not 
carnal,  [appealing  to  the  fears,  prejudices,  ignorance,  weak- 
nesses, and  passions,  rather  than  to  the  intelligence,  moral 
impulses,  and  finer  feelings  of  the  soul,]  but  mighty,  through 


16  INTRODUCTION. 

God,  to  the  pulling  down  of  strong-holds  ;  casting  down 
imagi7iations,  and  every  high  thing  that  exaltelh  itself 
against  t?ie  knowledge  of  God.'  'For  God  hath  not  given 
tcs  the  spirit  of  Fear,  but  of  Power,  and  of  Love,  and  of  a 
Sourid  Mind.^  'There  is  no /ear  in  love  ;  but  perfect  love 
casteth  out  fear.  He  that  feareth,  is  not  made  perfect  in 
'love.' 

'Now    we  believe,    and    do    testify,    that    the   Father 
sent  the  son  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the  world  ;'  'to  put  away 
Sin  ;'  'to  renconcile  All  Things  to  the  Father.'      That  'he 
died  for  All ;'  that  'the  Father  hath  given   All  Things  into 
his  hands  ;'  that  'all  that  the  Father  hath  given   him  shall 
come  unto  him  ;'  that  he    'will  draw   All  Men   unto   him,' 
'give  eternal  life  to  as  many  as  God  hath  given   him,'  're- 
concile the  World,'  'subdue  All  Things  unto  himself,'  'save 
that  which  was  lost,'  'destroy  the  works  of  the  devil,'  'finish 
the  work,'  'bring  Every  Knee  to  bow,  and  Every  Tongue 
to  confess,'  'to  the  glory  of  God  the   Father,'   that   'in  the 
Lord  they  have  righteousness  and  strength,'  'see  of  the  tra- 
vail of  his  soul,  and  be  satisfied.'     That   'the  Lord  is  good 
unto  all  his   works,'  even   'kind   to  the  unthankful  and  the 
evil,'  'loves  us  even  while  we  are  enemies,'   'is   very  pitiful 
and  of  tender  mercy,'  and  ^his  mercy  endureth  forever,'  and 
'his  salvation  is  forever,  for   'he  is  the   Lord,  and  changeth 
not,'  and  'knoweth  our  frame,  and  remembereth  that  we  are 
but  dust ;'  that  he  is  'the  Father  of  the  spirits  of  All  Flesh,' 
.knowelh  what  his  children  have  need  of,'  'will  never  leave 
nor  forsake  us,'  'will  not  always  chide,'  'doth  not  afflict  wil- 
lingly,' and  'will  not  cast  off  forever,'   for  he    'chastises  for 
our  profit  that  we  may  be   partakers  of  his  holiness,'   and 
'as  the  father  chasteneth   his  children,  so  the  Lord  our  God 


INTRODUCTION.  17 

dealeth  with  us.'  That  'his  hand  is  not  shortened  that  it 
cannot  save,'  for  'he  lookelh  upon  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth  and  fashioiielh  their  hearts  alike,'  and  will  'put  his 
law  in  their  hearts,  and  write  it  in  their  minds,  that  All 
shall  know  Hiiri  from  the  least  unto  the  greatest ;'  for  He 
'will  have  All  Men  to  be  saved  and  come  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  truth,'  and  'who  hath  resisted  His  will  ?'  'Of  Him, 
and  through  Him  and  TO  Him  are  All  Things,'  for  'For 
His  pleasure  are  All  Things  created,'  and  'He  doeth  all  His 
pleasure.'  'He  hath  Purposed  in  Himself  to  gather  together 
in  One  All  Things  in  Christ,'  that  'there  shall  be  One  Fold 
and  One  Shepherd,'  and  'every  Purpose  of  the  Lord  shall 
stand.'  'The  Covenant  which  the  Lord  made  unto  Abraham, 
saying,  In  thy  seed  shall  All  the  Kindreds  of  the  Earth  be 
blessed,  by  turning  away  every  one  from  their  iniquities,' 
we  'stagger  not  at  through  unbelief,'  'for  He  is  faithful  that 
Promised,'  and  we  are  'fully  persuaded  that  what  He  hath 
Promised  He  is  able  also  to  perform,'  while  He  hath  also 
'confirmed  it  Hy  an  Oath,  saying,'  'By  Myself  have  I  sworn 
&c.,  and  thy  seed,  [the  Messiah,]  shall  possess  even  the 
gate  of  his  ENEMIES  ;  and  in  thy  seed  shall  All  the  Na- 
tions of  the  Earth  be  blessed.'  'Looking  for  that  blessed 
hope,'  when  'the  creation  shall  be  delivered  from  the  bon- 
dage of  corruption  [to  which  'God  hath  subjected'  it  eVi  hope,] 
into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God,'  when  'tears 
shall  be  vv^iped  from  off  All  Faces,'  when  God  shall  'over- 
come evil  with  good,'  so  that  'where  sin  abounded,  Grace 
shall  much  more  abound,'  'and  there  shall  be  no  more  pain,' 
nor  'death,'  nor  'curse,'  nor  'sin,'  'and  sorrow  and  sighing 
shall  flee  away,'  'and  the  vail  of  the  covering  that  is  cast 
over  All  Nations  shall  be  removed,'  when   'the  glory  of  the 


IS  INTRODUCTION. 

Lord  shall  be  revealed,  and  All  Flesh  shall  sec  it  together,' 
and  'shall  be  like  him,  because  they  shall  see  him  as  he  is,' 
and,  'being  the  children  of  the  resurrection  are  equal  unto 
the  angels,'  and  'having  borne  the  image  of  the  earthy,  shall 
also  bear  the  image  of  the  heavenly  ;'  when  'as  all  have 
died  in  Adam,  shall  All  in  Christ  be  made  alive  ;'  when 
'as  by  the  disobedience  of  one,  death  having  passed  upon, 
All  Men  to  condemnation,  even  so,  through  the  righteous- 
ness of  one,  the  Free  Gift  of  justification  to  life  shall  have 
likewise  come  upon  All  Men  ;'  'when  'the  Lamb  of  God 
taketh  away  the  Sin  of  the  world,'  and  the  'glad  tidings'  of 
'the  everlasting  gospel'  'of  the  Grace  of  God  which  bringeth 
salvation  to  All  Men,'  'shall  be  made  known  unto  All  Peo- 
ple,' 'preached  to  every  creature  which  is  under  heaven,'  'to 
Every  Nation,  and  Kindred,  and  Tongue,  and  People,'  so 
that  'AH  Nations  whom  God  has  made,'  and  'All  the  Kin- 
dreds of  the  Nations  shall  worship  before  Him,  and  glorify 
His  name,'  and  'Every  creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on 
the  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea, 
AND  ALL  THAT  ARE  IN  THEM,  shall  be  heard  saying.  Blessing, 
and  honor,  and  glory  and  power,  be  unto  Him  that  sitteth 
upon  the  throne,  forever  and  ever  !' 

'Now  we,  having  the  same  spirit  of  faith,  [as  the  apostles 
and  prophets,]  according  as  David  wrote,  I  believed,  and 
therefore  have  I  spoken, — we  also  believe,  and  therefore 
speak.'  'Let  us  hold  fast  the  profession  of  our  faith,  without 
wavering.'  'And  this  is  the  victory  which  overcometh  the 
world,  even  our  Faith.'  'Thanks  be  to  God  which  giveth 
us  the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.' 

'Now  the  Spirit  spake  expressly,  that  in  the  latter  times 
some  should  depart  from  the  Faith,  giving  heed  to  seducing 


INTRODUCTION.  19 

spirits,  and  Doctrines  of  Devils.  That  'the  priest  and  the 
prophet  should  err  in  vision  and  stumble  in  judgment,  and 
the  tables  of  the  Lord  should  be  full  of  vomit  and  filihiness.' 
'False  teachers,  who  privily  should  bring  in  damnable  her- 
esies, even  denying  the  Lord  that  bought  them.''  'That 
many  should  follow  their  pernicious  ways,  by  reason  of 
whom  the  way  of  truth  should  be  evil  spoken  of.  Who, 
through  covetousness  should  with  feigned  words  make 
merchandise  of  you.'  That  'the  time  should  come  when 
they  would  not  endure  sound  Doctrine  ;  but  after  their  own 
ways  should  heap  to  themselves  teachers  having  itching 
ears,  who  should  turn  away  their  ears  from  the  truth  and 
should  be  turned  wnio  fables.'  That  'they  should  afflict  the 
just,  [through  their  fearful  dogmas  and  tyrannical  sway,] 
take  a  bribe,  [invent  a  false  scheme  to  avert  the  just  pun- 
ishment of  transgression,]  and  turn  aside  the  needy  from 
their  right.'  'And  build  the  high  places  of  Tophet,  \^Helly 
— an  imaginary  vvrorld  of  eternal  woe  and  blasphemy,]  which 
is  [only,»myaci,]  the  Valley  of  the  Son  of  Hinnom, — to 
burn  [even]  their  sons  and  daughters  in  the  fire  ;  which  I 
commanded  them  not,  neither  came  it  into  My  heart,  saith 
the  Lord.'  'But  refuse  profane  and  old  wives'  fables,  and 
exercise  thyself  rather  unto  godliness.'  'For  thus  saith  the 
Lord  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel,  Let  not  your  prophets  and 
your  diviners  that  be  in  the  midst  of  you  deceive  you,  -  -  for 
they  prophesy  falsely  unto  you  in  My  name  :  I  have  not 
sent  them,  saith  the  Lord,'  'They  make  you  selfish  ;  they 
speak  a  vision  of  their  own  [narrow]  heart,  and  not  out  of 
the  mouth  of  the  Lord.' 

'I  speak  as  to  wise  men  ;    judge  ye  what  I  say.' 

'Who  hath  believed  our  report  ?  and  to  whom  is  the  arm 


20 


INTRODUCTION. 


of  the  Lord  revealed  ?'  'For  concerning-  this  seel,  we  know 
that  it  is  everywhere  spoken  against.'  'Thus  saith  the 
Lord  unto  you,  Be  not  afraid  nor  dismayed  by  reason  of  this 
great  multitude  [wlio  are  enemies  to  you  ;]  for  the  battle 
is  not  yours,  but  God's.'  'For  their  rock  is  not  as  our  rock, 
even  our  enemies  themselves  being  the  judges,'  'Whatso- 
ever is  born  of  God,  overrometh  the  World.'  'Marvel  not, 
my  brethren,  if  the  world  hate  you.'  'Our  doctrine  is  of 
God  ;  he  that  knoweth  [the  character  of]  God,  heareth  us. 
He  that  is  not  of  God,  heareth  not  tjs,  [but  ridicule,  carica- 
ture, and  defame  us.]  Hereby  know  ye  the  spirit  of  truth 
and  the  spirit  of  error.'  'How  forcible  are  sound  words! 
but  what  doth  reproaching  demonstrate  ?'  'Should  a  wise 
man  answer  with  arguments  of  wind,  and  fill  iiimself  with 
the  east  wind  ?  Should  he  reason  with  words  that  do  not 
profit,  and  discourse  upon  that  in  which  there  is  no  benefit?' 
'Whom  shall  he  teach  knowledge  ?  and  whom  shall  he 
make  to  understand  doctrine  ?'  'the  doctrine  which  is  ac- 
cording to  godliness  ?'  'Them  that  are  weaned  from  the 
milk  [of  hereditary  prejudice  and  bigotry  ;]  they  that  are 
drawn  from  the  breasts,  [of  priestly  idolatry  and  imposition.] 
For  precept  must  be  upon  precept,  precept  upon  precept  ; 
line  upon  line,  line  upon  line  ;  here  a  little  and  there  a 
little.'  'And  they  that  erred  in  spirit  shall  come  to  under- 
standing, and  they  that  murmured  shall  learn  doctrine.' — 
'That  which  had  not  been  told  them  shall  they  see  ;  and 
that  which  they  had  not  heard  shall  they  consider.'  'Who 
among  you  will  give  ear  to  this  ?  who  will  hearken  and 
hear  for  the  time  to  come  ?'  'How  long  halt  ye  between 
two  opinions  ?  If  the  Lord  be  God,  follow  Him  ;  \{  Baal, 
then  follow  him.'     'Come    thou  with    us,  and   we  .will  do 


INTRODUCTION. 


21 


thee  good  ;  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken  good  concerning  Is- 
rael.' 'Attend  to  know  understanding,  for  I  give  you  good 
doctrine.'     'I  shew  unto  you  a  more  excellent  way.' 

'Now  the  end  of  the  commandment  is  charity  out  of  a 
pure  heart,  and  of  a  good  conscience,  and  of  a  faith  un- 
feigned :  from  which  some  have  swerved,  and  turned  aside 
unto  vain  jangling,  desiring  to  be  teachers  of  the  law,  un- 
derstanding neither  what  they  say  nor  whereof  they  affirm.' 
•And  with  lies  [concerning  the  terrors  of  God  and  of  futur- 
ity] they  have  made  the  hearts  of  the  righteous  sad  whom 
God  hath  not  made  sad,  and  strengthened  the  hand  of  the 
v/icked  that  he  should  not  return  from  his  wicked  way,  by 
promising  him  life,'  (through  the  unjust  punishment  of  an 
innocent  Being  in  his  stead,  thus  providing  for  the  fears  of 
the  evil  a  dangerous  unction,  a  false  means  of  escape  from 
the  just,  certain,  and  speedy  retribution  of  iniquity,  telling 
him  also  about  the  sweets  and  pleasures  of  sin,  and  of  the 
hardships  of  righteousness,  of  the  nice  congeniality  of  sin- 
fulness with  his  whole  nature,  discouraging  the  sinner 
against  any  efforts  for  goodness,  by  fearful  denunciations  of 
his  deep  depravity,  and  of  his  incapability  of  doing  any 
good  thing,  and  by  'putting  far  away  the  evil  day.')  And 
'because,  (as  they  vainly  imagine,)  sentence  against  an  evil 
work  is  not  executed  speedily,  therefore  the  heart  of  the  sons 
ofmen  is  fully  set  in  them  to  do  evil,'  (since  the  awards  of 
justice  may  be  put  off  so  long,  and  may  be  so  easily  escaped.) 
So,  'all  people  will  walk  every  one  after  (the  character  he 
ascribes  to)  his  god ;  and  we  will  walk  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  our  God,  forever  and  ever.' 

'But  we  bear  them  record  that  they  have  a  zeal  of  God, 
but  not  according  to  knowledge.     For  they  being  ignorant 

1 


22  INTRODUCTION. 

of  (the  extent  of)  God's  rigliteousness,  and  going  about  to 
establish  their  own  (limited,  partial  views  of)  righteouyness, 
have  not  submitted  themselves  to  the  {infinite)  righteous- 
ness of  God.'  'They  run  into  darkness  in  the  day-time,  and 
grope  in  the  noon-day  as  if  it  were  night.'  'But  we  have 
not  followed  cunningly-devised  fables.'  'But  have  renounc- 
ed the  hidden  things  of  dishonesty,  not  walking  in  crafti- 
ness, nor  handling  the  word  of  God  deceitfully,  but,  by 
manifestation  of  the  truth,  commending  ourselves  to  every 
man's  conscience  in  the  sight  of  God.'  'And  if  our  heart 
condemn  us,  (that  we  have  not  the  truth,)  God  is  greater 
than  our  heart,  and  knoweth  all  things'  ('we  have  need  of, 
even  before  we  ask  him,'  and  what  is  at  all  times  best  for 
us,  so  that  we  do  not  fear  that  our  heavenly  Parent  will 
endlessly  perpetuate  us  or  any  of  his  creatures  in  error,  but 
trust  in  Him  with  implicit,  child-like  confidence  that  He 
will  ultimately  bring  us  all  to  'the  knowledge  of  the  truth.') 
'Earnestly  contend  for  the  Faith  (of  "  the  Common  Sal- 
vation'') which  was  once  delivered  to  the  saints.'  'It  is 
good  to  be  zealously  affected  always  in  a  good  thing.'  'Be 
not  ashamed  of  the  testimony  of  the  Lord.'  'Stand  fast 
therefore  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ  hath  made  you 
free,  and  be  not  entangled  again  in  the  yoke  of  bondage." 
'Continue  in  this  faith  grounded  and  settled,  and  be  not 
moved  away  from  the  hope  of  the  gospel,  which  ye  have 
heard,  and  which  was  preached  for  Every  Creature  which 
is  under  Heaven.'  'Holding  fast  the  faithful  word  as  thou 
hast  been  taught,  that  thou  may'st  be  able  by  sound  doc- 
trine, both  to  exhort  and  convince  thegainsayers.'  'Taking 
the  helmet  of  salvation,  and  the  sword  of  the  spirit,  which 
is  the  word  of  God.'     'Is  not  My  word  like  fire  ?    saith  the 


INTRODUCTION.  SSCf 

Lord ;  and  like  a  hammer  that  Lreaketh  the  rock  (of  super- 
stition) in  pieces?'  'Only  let  your  conversation  be  as  be- 
cometh  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  -  -  stand  fast  in  one  spirit, 
with  one  mind,  striving  together  for  the  faith  of  the  Gospel, 
and  in  notki?ig  terrified  by  your  Adversaries  ;  which  is  to 
them  an  evident  token  of  your  perdition,  but  to  you  of 
Salvation,  and  that  of  God.'  'In  all  things  showing  thy- 
self a  pattern  of  good  works,  in  Doctrine  showing  uncor- 
ruptness,  gravity,  sincerity,  sound  speech  that  cannot  be  con- 
demned, that  he  that  is  of  the  contrary  part  may  be  ashamed, 
having  no  evil  thing  to  say  of  you.'  'Let  your  speech  be 
always  with  grace,  seasoned  with  salt,  that  ye  may  know 
how  ye  ought  to  answer  every  man,'  'and  give  a  reason  to 
every  one  that  asketh  you  of  the  Hope  that  is  in  you.' — 
'Speaking  the  truth  in  love,  that  ye  may  grow  up  unto  him 
in  all  things,  which  is  the  Head,  even  Christ.'  'Walk 
worthy  therefore  of  the  vocation  wherewith  ye  are  called, 
with  all  loveliness  and  meekness,  with  long-suffering,  for- 
bearing one  another  in  love,  and  endeavoring  to  keep  the 
unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bonds  of  peace.'  'And  be  ye  kind 
to  one  another,  tender-hearted,  forgiving  one  another,  even 
as  God  for  Christ's  sake  hath  forgiven  you.' 

'Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see 
your  good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  hea- 
ven.' 'Seek  that  ye  may  excel  to  the  edifying  of  the 
church.  'But  be  ye  doers  of  the  word  and  not  hearers  only, 
deceiving  your  own  selves.'  'For  faith  without  works  is 
dead;'  'and  by  works  is  faith  made  perfect.'  'Add  then  to 
your  faith,  virtue  ;  and  to  virtue,  knowledge  ;  and  to  know- 
ledge, temperance  ;  and  to  temperance,  patience  ;  and  to 
patience,  godliness  ;    and  to  godliness,   brotherly-kindness, 


84 


INTRODUCTION. 


and  to  brotherly-kindness,  love.'  'Now  abideth  Faith, 
Hope,  and  Love;  but  the  greatest  of  these  is  Love.'  'And 
this  I  pray,  that  your  love  may  abound  more  and  more,  in 
knowledge,  and  in  all  judgment,  that  ye  may  approve  things 
that  are  excellent;  that  ye  may  be  sincere  and  without  of- 
fence till  the  day  of  Christ,  being  filled  with  the  fruits  of 
righteousness  which  are  by  Jesus  Christ,  unto  the  glory 
and  praise  of  God.'  'Let  us  not  love  in  word,  neither  m 
tongue,  but  in  deed  and  in  truth.'  'Behold,  how  good  and. 
how  pleasant  it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity.' 
— 'We  ought  also  to  love  God,  because  He  first  loved  us.' 
'And  this  is  the  love  of  God,  that  we  keep  his  command- 
ments ;  and  His  commandments  are  not  grievous.'  'He 
that  loveth  not  his  brother  abideth  in  death ;  whosoever 
hateth  his  brother  is  a  murderer  ;  and  no  murderer  hath 
eternal  life  abiding  in  him.  Hereby  perceive  we  the  love 
of  Christ  that  he  laid  down  his  own  life  for  us.' 

'Finally,  brethren,  whatsoever  things  are  true,  whatso- 
ever things  are  honest,  whatsoever  things  are  just,  whatso- 
ever things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  whatso- 
ever things  are  of  good  report :  if  there  be  any  virtue,  if 
there  be  any  praise,  think  on  these  things.'  'Meditate  on 
His  wondrous  works.and  talk  of  His  excellent  doings.'  'Be 
ready  to  every  good  work.'  'Always  abound  in  the  work 
of  the  Lord,  forasmuch  as  ye  know  that  your  labor  is  not 
in  vain  in  the  Lord.'  'Be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  his 
will,  in  all  wisdom  and  spiritual  understanding,  that  ye 
may  walk  worthy  of  the  Lord  in  all  pleasing,  being  fruitful 
in  all  good  works,  and  increasing  in  the  knowledge  of  God.' 
For  'the  grace  of  God  which  bringeth  salvation  unto  All 
Men  having  appeared,  teacheth  us,  that  denying  all  ungodli- 


INTRODUCTION. 

ness  and  worldly  lusts,  we  should  live  soberly,  righteously, 
and  godly  in  this  present  world.' 

'Let  us  hear  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter ;  Fear 
God,  and  keep  His  commandments ;  for  this  is  the  whole 
duty  of  man.'  'For  what,  O  Man,  doth  the  Lord  require  of 
thee,  but  to  deal  justly,  love  mercy,  and  walk  humbly  with 
thy  God.'  'Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart,  and  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  On  [the  ultimate  uni- 
versal obedience  of]  these  two  Commandments  hang  [de- 
pend the  fulfilment  of]  all  the  Law  and  the  Prophets.' 

'Now,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  himself,  and  God,  even  our 
Father,  which  hath  loved  us,  and  hath  given  us  Everlasting 
Consolation  and  Good  Hope,  through  Grace,  comfort  your 
hearts,  and  stablish  you  in  every  good  word  and  work. — 
Amen.' 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 


PROPOSITION  FIRST. 

It  is  the  DESIRE  of  God's  Nature,  and  the  Deep  Yearning 
of  the  So?i,  and  of  the  Angels  and  Saints,  that  Every 
Lost  Child  of  Humanity  shall  be  Redeemed  from  the 
Bondage  of  Evil. 

PROOFS. 

The  Scriptures  explicitly  affirm,  that  the  Lord  would, 
'that  ALL  should  come  to  Repentance,'  and  that  He  'is  not 
WILLING  that  ANY  should  perish;'  that  is,  that  any  crea- 
ture should  continue  and  be  kept  in  sin  and  wretchedness 
without  salvatio?i.     2  Pet.  iii.  9. 

Moreover,  'God  is  Righteous.'' — Ezra  ix.  15.  And  ^Tke 
Desire  of  the  Righteous  is  ONLY  GOOD.'— Prov.  xi.  23. 
If  a  desire  for  the  salvation  of  a  single  sinful  soul  is  a  good 
and  righteous  desire,  is  it  not  an  excellent  and  godlike  De- 
sire that  would  embrace  in  its  uncontracted  sympathy  and 
love,  the  good  and  happiness  of  the  ample  universe  ? 

-I  DESIRE  MERCY,  and  not  Sacrifice,'  saith  the  Lord. 
— Hos.  vi.  6. 

Besides,  all  the  numerous  Scriptures  that  teach  the 
tender  compassion,  the  loving-kindness,  the  abundant  mercy, 
the  great  goodness,  the  eternal  faithfulness,  the  everlasting 
Zot;e,  and  the  beneficent  paternity  o{  GoA,  are  unequivocal 
evidences  that  the  Universal  Father  of  Spirits,  DESIRES, 
at  least,  yea,  with  an  intensity  infinitely  tender  and  deep, 
and  which  even  overbounds  the  united  sympathies  of  every 
living  spirit  He  has  fashioned, — the  emancipation  of  All 
His  children  from  the  blasting  dominion  of  Ignorance,  Un- 
righteousness, Temptation,  Sorrow,  and  Pain. 


28  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

Such  passages  as  the  following,  'One  God,  the  Father 
of  All;'  'God  is  Love  ;'  'Good  to  All,'  and  'changelh  not;' 
•Riches  of  His  Goodness ;'  'Only  Good,'  &c.  are  forever 
inconnpatible  with  the  character  of  a  Deity  whose  Disposi- 
tion for  the  prevalence  of  good,  not  to  regard  the  extent  of 
His  Power,  is  not  for   Universal  Salvation  and  Holiness. 

Such  Scriptures  as  these,  'The  Lord  is  very  pitiful,  and 
o[  tender  mercy.'' — James  v.  11 ;  'Thou,  O  Lord,  art  a  God 
Fidl  of  Compassion,  and  Gracious,  Long-  Siiffering,  and 
Plenteous  m  Mercy  and  Truth.^ — Ps.  Ixxxvi.  15;  'Not 
a  sparrow  can  fall  to  the  ground  without  your  Father,  and 
ye  are  much  belter  than  they.' — Mat.  vi.  26;  'His  Tender 
Mercies  are  over  All  His  works  ;'  'Doth  not  afflict  willingly  ;' 
'His  anger  endnrelh  but  a  ?«w??e?/^  ;'  'His  Mercy  is  Ever- 
lasting;' 'His  Faithfulness  endiwxeih  unio  AW  Generations;' 
are  all  forever  irreconcilable  with  the  horrid  superstition  of 
the  Church,  that  there  is  a  dreadful  Being  in  the  heavens 
the  fearful  Arbiter  of  the  worlds,  who  irretrievably  aban- 
dons myriads  of  the  creatures  of  His  handiwork,  the  mo- 
ment their  life-sands  are  exhausted,  to  a  world  of  awful  suf- 
ferings and  the  tortures  of  malignant,  immortal  fiends,  an- 
nihilating all  His  goodness,  mercy,  love,  compassion,  and 
faithfulness  towards    them,  during  the  very  eternity. 

The  great  Apostle  exhorted  that  supplications,  prayers, 
iniextc^s^'iorxs,  anA  giving  of  thanks,  (too,  for  he  did  not  at 
all  apprehend  that  the  Christian's  holy  orisons  for  the  world's 
salvation  ascended  to  the  throne  of  Grace  in  vain,)  should 
be  made  for  ALL  MEN  ;  for  this  was  good  and  acceptable 
in  the  sight  of  God  our  Saviour  ;  as  He  WILL  HAVE 
All  Men  to  be  saved  and  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth  ;  and  as  Christ  Jesus,  the  Mediator  between  God  and 
man,  also  gaoe  himself  a  Ransom  for  ALL  ;  which,  (though 
millions  disbelieve,)  shall  be  testified  in  doe  time.  And 
being  to  this  blessed  faith  'ordained  a  Preacher  and  an  A- 
postle,'  he  willed  that  men  should  offer  this  prayer  every- 
where, lifting  up  holy  hands  without  lorath  (without  enmity 
or  selfishness,  that  would  exclude  any  portion  of  the  great 
Brotherhood  of  our  kind,)  or  doubting. — 1  Tim.  ii.  1—8. 

Another  Apostle  instructs  that  prayer  be  made  'm  faith, 


REASONS    FOR    OTJR    HOPE.  29 

not  leaver ing,'' — Jas.  i.  6;  and  Paul  again,  elsewhere,  that 
the  Christian  failh  'is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  pok,'  (not 
shuddered  at,) — Heb.  xi.  1 ;  that  'whatsoever  is  not  of  faith 
IS  sin. — Rotn.  xiv.  23 ;  and  that  'he  that  doubleth  is  condem- 
ned ;'  for  Jesus  saith,  'This  is  condemnation,  that  light  is 
come  into  the  world,  and  men  love  darkness  rather  than 
light.' — John  iii.  19.  Does  not  the  Desire  and  Hope  of  the 
Universalist  correspond  with  the  Faith  of  the  Apostle,  where 
he  exclaims,  'Believing,  we  rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable,  and 
FULL  of  glory  ?' — 1  Pet.  i.  8. 

In  that  memorable,  touching  prayer  of  Jesus,  which  is 
nearly  the  latest  that  is  recorded  of  him  ;  after  the  particular 
intercession  for  his  disciples,  which  he  offered  up,  come  the 
words, 'Neither  PRAY  I  FOR  THESE  ALONE  ;  but  for  them  also 
which  shall  believe  on  me  through  their  word,  iYi&i  they  all 
maybe  One ;  -  -  that  the  world  may  believe  that  Thou  hast 
sent  me ;  -  -  and  that  the  World  may  KNOW  that  Thou 
hast  sent  me,  and  hast  loved  them,  as  Thou  hast  loved 
me.'— John  xvii.  20--23. 

How  can  it  be  doubted  that  'the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus,' 
who  'had  compassion  upon  the  ignorant  and  those  which 
were  out  of  the  way,' — Heb.  v.  2 ;  who  was  'not  ashamed  to 
call  them  Brethren,'' — Heb.  ii.  11  ;  nor  to  be  named  'the 
Friend  of  Publicans  and  Sinners,' — Mat.  xi.  19;  Luke  vii. 
34;  who 'was  moved  with  compassion  toward  the  people  be- 
cause they  fainted  and  were  scattered  as  sheep  having  no  shep- 
herd,'— Mark  vi.  34;  Mat.  ix.  36  ;  xiv.  14;  who  wept  over 
the  doomed  Jerusalem  and  its  people  with  mourning  and  lam- 
entation,— Lukexix.  41;  Mat.  xxiii.  37  ;  and  whose  dying 
breath  was  sweetened  with  a  heavenly  petition  even  for  the 
redemption  of  his  murderers, — Luke  xxiii.  34  :  how  can  it 
be  doubted  that  he,  even  the  profound  depths  and  immeasu- 
rable love  of  the  soul  of  the  Son  of  God,  to  his  mightiest 
strength,  is  covenanted  for  the  deliverance  of  all  his  purchas- 
ed possession,  the   blessedness  of  Universal  Humanity  ? 

St.  Peter  informs  us  that  even  the  Angels  desired  to  look 
into  the  Gospel  of  'Glad  Tidings  of  Great  Joy  to  All  People,' 
sent  down  by  the  Holy  Ghost  from  heaven,  'which  testified 
beforehand  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  and  the    Glory  that 

B 


30  REASONS    FOR    OUR  HOPE. 

should  follow.' — 1  Pet.  i.  1 1, 12.  And  if  'there  is  joy  among 
the  angels  ill  heaven  over  every  sinner  that  lepenlelli,'  who 
shall  deny  that  they  likewise  Desire  llie  Salvation  of  All? 
who  rather  can  conceive  of  the  inhnite  happiness  which  the 
celestial  beings  must  experience  at  the  glorious  prospect 
of 'The  Creation  being  delivered  from  the  bondage  of  Cor- 
ruption into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  Cod,' — 
'All  Things  Subdued  unto,'  and  'Made  alive  in  Christ,' — 
'Death  swallowed  up  in  Victory, 'and  God  become  'All  in  All.' 

St.  Stephen  prayed  also  for  the  forgiveness  of  his  murder- 
ers.— Acts  vii.  60.  Should  we  dare  to  say  that  this  noble 
martyr  would  not  desire  to  meet  them  again  in  the  Father's 
Kingdom,  redeemed  from  mortal  evils,  'washed  and  made 
whitein  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,'  made 'equalunto  the  angels  ?' 
And  surely,  if  those  cruel  murderers,  the  whole  world. 

David  often  uttered  prayers  for  all  people,  and  for  the 
■wicked  :  '0,  let  the  wickedness  of  the  wicked  come  to  an 
end!' — Ps.  vii.  9.  'Seek  out  wickedness  till  Thou  find 
none  !' — Ps.  x.  15.  'Let  all  people  praise  Thee  !' — Ps.  Ixvii. 
5.  'O  ye  sons  of  men,  how  long  will  ye  turn  my  glory  into 
shame  V — Ps.  iv.  2.  'Let  every  thing  that  hath  breath 
praise  the  Lord  !' — Ps.  cl.  6. 

St.  Paul  was  inspired  to  express  a  heartfelt  Desire  that 
ALL  ISRAEL  might  be  saved. — Rom.  x.  1.  Yet  the 
Jewish  people  as  a  whole,  since  their  earliest  national  exis- 
tence was  the  most  evil  and  corrupt  race  of  men  that  ever 
lived.  Under  the  mysterious  but  gracious  ways  of  heaven, 
this  was  the  very  reason  why  they  were  chosen  from  among 
all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  to  be  made  a  more  illustri- 
ous example  of  His  Mercy,  as  was  Paul,  who  confessed 
himself  to  be  the  chief  of  sinners.  And  St.  Paul  was  no 
respecter  of  nations,  any  more  than  he  was  of  persons  ;  so 
that  it  is  perfectly  reasonable  to  conclude  even  from  this 
passage  alone,  that  if  he  desired  the  salvation  of  All  Israel, 
he  as  fervently  wished  also  for  the  salvation  of -4Z^ /Ac  Gin 
tiles.  Whoever  imagines  that  Paul  did  not  think  the 
Grace  of  GoJ  to  be  sufficient  for  the  salvation  of  the  Gen- 
tiles, and  of  every  soul  of  them,  must  be  a  dull  student  of 
his  writings,  surely! 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  31 

Is  not  the  Lord's  Prayer  itself  a  free  and  universal  one  ? 
Through  it,  all  men,  of  all  conditions  and  natures,  are  to  ad- 
dress the  God  of  creation  and  providence,  as  the  Father  of 
all,  in  heaven,  whose  paternity  and  name  are  to  be  univer- 
sally hallowed  ;  that  the  spiritual  kingdom  of  His  goodness 
and  holiness  may  come  unto  them, — unto  all ;  that  the  good 
pleasure  of  His  will  may  be  continually  done  and  hastened 
in  them,  until  all  the  earth  shall  finally  be  in  perfect  har- 
mony with  it  as  heaven  is  ;  and  especially  that  He  should 
deliver  us  all  from  evil,  from  the  dominion  of  sin,  the  blight 
of  anguish,  ignorance,  and  error,  and  from  all  unnecessary 
suffering  ;  and  forsake  us  not  also  in  temptation  ;  because 
the  kingdom  of  mankind  is  His  alone,  the  Universal  Lord 
and  Sovereign,  who  alone  has  the  power  to  deliver  His  crea- 
tures from  the  evils  into  which  their  weakness  and  imper- 
fection must  necessarily  involve  them ;  and,  because  to 
Him  will  be  ascribed  the  everlasting  glory  and  honor  of  the 
work  of  salvation,  as,  that  all  His  creatures  shall  eventually 
acknowledge  and  praise  no  other. 

It  is  an  inspired  precept,  that  'Whoso  mocketh  the  poor, 
reproacheth  his  Maker  ;  and  he  that  is  glad  at  calamities, 
shall  not  be  unpunished.' — Prov.  xvii.  5.  Kit  were  the  na- 
ture of  the  Lord  to  have  pleasure  in  the  infliction  of  misery, 
or  to  delight  in  the  retaliation  of  evil  for  evil,  or  to  be  rec- 
onciled to  the  endless  endurance  of  sufferings  and  sins,  such 
a  precept  could  scarcely  have  emanated  from  Him. 

Strictly,  it  is  an  improper  thing  that  we  should  ever 
speak  of  the  Deity  as  possessing  any  unrealized  Desires, — 
He  who  doeth  all  His  sovereign  pleasure,  and  comprehends, 
fixes,  and  grasps  the  end  from  the  beginning,  and  towards 
the  consummation  of  whose  great  Purposes  nothing  in  His 
whole  universe  can  be,  in  reality,  antagonistic.  But  it  is 
here  employed,  in  the  absence  of  an  expression  more  suitable 
to  the  character  of  the  present  argument,  seeing  that  it  is 
of  very  general  theological  usage,  and  seeing  also  that  there 
is  a  caricature  form  of  Christianity  which  most  strenuously 
protests  that  the  nature  of  God  is  such,  that  so  far  from  His 
being  possessed  of  the  least  mind  or  disposition  whatever, 
(while  it  truly  confesses  His   most  perfectly  ample  Ability,) 


32  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE, 

to  confer  immortal  blessedness  upon  millions  of  the  souls 
He  creates  ;  rather  curses. them  into  cxistcnrc  not  merely 
in  weakness,  but  abominably,  totally  depraved,  and  places 
them  in  a  world  of  temptation  and  evil,  and  within  the  pow- 
er of  invisible  spirit-fiends,  so  that  it  is  not  possible  for  them 
even  to  make  a  motion  without  sinning,  all  for  the  horrible 
pretext  of  binding  down  their  miserable  existences  in  tor- 
ments unutterable  and  continued  wickedness  to  all  eternity  ! 
But,  while  there  is  not  a  passage  in  the  Bible,  nor  the  sem- 
blance of  one,  to  prove  that  the  heavenly  Parent  has  no  De- 
sire or  inclination  that  the  sinful  shall  be  restored,  but  is 
eager  rather  that  they  shall  sin  and  suffer  forever,  there  is 
abundant  testimony  to  the  contrary,  and  confirmation  of  it 
from  the  records  of  the  Divine  Will,  Purposes,  Promises, 
and  Doings. 

Additional  Remarks. 

It  is  inconceivable  that  there  is  any  thing  in  the  nature 
of  the  faith  itself  of  Universal  Redemption,  that  should  in- 
spire so  much  of  the  great  heart  of  Christendom  with  such 
an  inveterately  pious  abhorrence  of,  and  so  rude  a  spirit  of 
persecution  against  it.  There  is  surely  nothing  either  blas- 
phemous or  ridiculous  in  the  opinion  that  the  universe  hnot 
doomed  with  an  irremediable,  endless  curse  ;  that  countless 
numbers  of  the  immortal  race  shall  not  fry  and  welter  and 
wail  in  eternal  agonies  ;  but  on  the  contrary,  that  the  worlds 
are  under  the  complete  and  perfect  dominion  of  a  Governor 
who  is  more  infinitely  wise,  good,  merciful,  and  powerful 
than  the  best  of  us,  or  than  even  the  angels  perhaps  can  con- 
ceive ;  that  this  world  is  but  the  lower,  the  incipient  stage 
of  an  immortality  of  perpetual  advancement  in  knowledge 
and  holiness,  in  which  we  are  purposely  created  imperfect 
at  first  ;  that  all  mankind  from  the  beginning  of  human  ex- 
istence are  eternally  and  inseparably  linked  in  the  endearing 
ties  of  a  Universal  Familyhood,  who,  though  in  this  earlier 
undeveloped  state,  are  far  estranged  and  at  enmity,  being 
entangled  in  the  deceitfulness  of  the  world,  shall  neverthe- 
less ultimately  meet  and  know  each  other  in  the  kingdom 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  33 

of  Life  and  Light.  Is  there  anything  on  the  face  of  a  belief 
of  this  kind  which  is  repulsive  to  the  feelings  of  a  good 
heart,  or  contrary  to  the  sense  of  an  intelligent  mind  ?  It 
is  impossible.  We  are  to  look  into  something  beyond  and 
independent  of  the  doctrine  itself  for  the  cause  of  tfie  hatred 
which  is  everywhere  manifested  against  it,  and  against  its 
believers,  even  into  the  hearts  of  those  who  are  its  enemies. 
And  who  are  the  despisers  of  our  glorious  Hope  ?  Are 
they  the  benevolent,  the  amiable,  the  humble,  the  merciful, 
and  the  truly  devotional,  and  the  truth-loving  among  us? — 
Nay,  for  this  is  the  very  'word  which  is  nigh  unto  them, 
even  in  their  hearts  and  in  their  mouths,  this  word  of  Faith 
which  WE  preach.^  It  is  only  this  hope  which  can  com- 
pletely satisfy  the  deepest  longings  of  every  Christian's  soul 
of  all  faiths  ;  nothing  short  of  this  accords  with  the  highest 
aspirations  of  the  philanthropic  heart  ;  no  other  view  of 
things  so  entirely  agrees  with  the  most  natural  instincts, 
the  most  satisfactory  reasonings,  and  the  brilliant  harmony 
that  swells  from  the  beautiful  fabric  of  nature  ;  and  nothing 
else  can  rationally  explain  or  'vindicate  the  ways  of  God 
to  man,'  or  be  reconciled  with  the  whole  spirit  of  the  gos- 
pel Christianity,  an  1  the  character  of  its  holy  Founder.  Who 
then  but  the  proud  i  i  high  places,  the  cold-hearted,  bigoted, 
stubborn-minded,  self-righteous,  Pharisaical  Religionists  of 
the  Church,  who,  not  enduring  to  be  deprived  of  the  vain 
unction  which  they  cherish  of  their  being  the  peculiar  ob- 
jects of  the  Divine  favor,  the  most  highly  valued  of  God's 
children,  the  only  rightful  inheritors  of  His  blessings,  in  the 
narrow  selfishness  of  their  souls,  "  do  not  wish  to  go  to  hea- 
ven if  such  and  such  shall  also  attain  it  too."  Surely,  the 
sentiment  of 'the  great  salvation,'  of  all  others,  is  not  that 
which  is  pleasing  and  grateful  to  the  impulses  of  the  de- 
praved, the  revengeful,  the  selfish  and  carnal  heart,  nor  is  it 
a  sentiment  half  so  likely  to  have  originated  in  the  bosom  of 
the  dark  Prince  of  Evil  as  the  terrible  dogmas  to  which  this 
is  opposed.  No,  it  is  not  the  Universalist  that  cherishes  a 
faith  which  corresponds  with  the  profane  desires  and  evil 
wishes  of  the  wicked.  Yet  it  is  only  from  the  lips  of  the  pro- 


34  REASONS    FOR   OUR   HOPE. 

fane  that  we  hear  the  utterance  of  prayers  for  the  damnation 
of  their  fellows  in  the  awful  oven  of  gehenna. 

Hero  is  a  fact  which  is  "worthy  of  all  acceptation,"  thai 
however  much  men  may  affrct  to  be  horrified  at  the  doctrine 
of"  the  Restitution  of  Ail  Thintrs,"  which  was  "spoken  of 
by  all  the  holy  prophets  since  the  world  began,"  however 
severely  they  may  scorn  and  anathematize  and  villify  its 
believers,  no  man  that  prays,  can  steel  his  conscience  to 
pray  against  the  salvation  of  all  and  the  destruction  of 
evil, — a  consummation  of  things  so  "  devoutly  to  be  wish- 
ed for,"  which  would  so  greatly  glorify  God,  and  kindle  the 
spirit  of  love,  gratitude  and  devotion, — neither  can  any  man 
rationally  pray  for  the  verity  and  hastening  of  the  doom  of 
everlastin?  misery  ;  and  no  person  could  listen  to  such  a 
prayer  without  being  shocked  at  its  impiety  and  blasphemy. 
In  this  respect  indeed,  the  hearts  and  souls  of  all  the  most 
divinely  amiable  of  the  Christian  Church  are  with  us,  so 
true  it  is  that  the  more  deeply  the  believer  drinks  into  the 
genial  and  gracious  spirit  of  the  Master  and  his  religion,  the 
more  ardent  and  irrepressible  is  his  yearning  for  the  truth 
of  the  very  sentiment  which  distinguishes  us  'a  peculiar  peo- 
ple,' that  "THE  NEEDY  shall  not  alway  be  forgotten." — "Sure- 
ly the  God  of  all  truth  would  never  have  implanted  aspira- 
rations  so  universal  in  the  minds  of  good  men,  did  they  not 
leap  from  the  heart  to  the  recognition  of  the  same  truth 
which  gave  them  birth.  And  whatever  may  be  said  or  in- 
ferred from  this  fact,  we  deem  it  an  important  corroboration 
of  the  truth  as  it  stands  out  from  the  pages  of  God's  revela- 
tion. It  is  not  the  law  written  in  the  heart,  so  much  as  it  is 
the  testimony,  responded  to  by  every  evidence  in  nature,  and 
by  every  utterance  of  the  God  of  nature.  Our  hearts  sug- 
gest, nature  promises,  and  the  word  of  God  declares,  that  "Of 
Him,  and  through  him,  and  TO  HIM  are  All  Things."  * 

"  Celestial  Charity  !  thy  labors  most 
Divine  ;  thy  sympathy  with  sighs,  and  fears, 
And  sin  ;  thy  ^reat,  thy  godlike  Wish,  to  heal 
All  misery,  all  fortune's  wounds,  and  make 
The  soul  of  every  living  thing  rejoice  I" — Pollok. 

•Fernald's   Universalism  against  Partialism,   p.  32. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  35 

COMPLETION  OP  THE  ARGUMENT. 

Shall  this  Desire  of  the  Lord,  these  Prayers  of  Jesiis,  and 
this  Hope  of  the  Angels  and  Saints,  be  ever  Realized  ? 

'Behold,' saith  the  Psalniist,  'Thou  Desirest  truth  in  t/ie 
inward  parts ;  and  in  the  hidden  part,  [therefore,]  Thou 
shall  MAKE  ME  to  kuow  wisdom.' — Ps.  li.  6.  David  here 
expresses  a  very  different  sentiment  from  that  wliich  has 
commonly  obtained  in  the  Church.  If  he  had  writien,  'We 
know,  0  God,  that  Thou  deeply  Desirest  that  truth  and  holi- 
ness should  possess  the  souls  of  the  children  of  men,  yet,  O 
Lord,  the  wicked  shall  forever  disobey  Thee,  and  thus  defeat 
Thy  merciful  Desires  toward  them,  which  Thy  creatures 
only  can  fulfil,  when  they  choose  to  make  themselves  pure, 
and  worthy  of  behig  the  recipients  of  Thy  favors,'  he  would 
have  been  decidedly  more  'orthodox.' 

'He  is  of  one  mind,  and  who  can  turn  Him  ?  and  what 
His  Soul  Desireth,  even  that  HE  DOETH.' — Job  xxiii.  13. 
This  explicit  testimony  of  the  inspired  word,  completes  our 
argument.  It  is  established  that  the  Desire,  the  Disposition 
of  the  Father  of  Life,  is  for  the  redemption  of  all  souls  ;  and 
now  we  prove  with  equal  plainness,  that  whatsoever  enters 
into  the  mind  of  the  Infinite  One  to  Desire,  there  can  be  no 
possible  obstacles  in  the  way  which  His  wisdom  and  power 
cannot  surmount,  to  the  most  complete  accomplishment  of 
all  His  pleasure. 

'He  that  planteth  the  ear  shall  He  not  hear  ?'  and  He  that 
'openeth  His  hand  and  satisfeth  the  Desire  of  every  tiling  liv- 
ing,'— Ps.  cxlv.  16  ;  shall  He  not  be  abundantly  able  to 
mould  the  hearts  of  all  His  intelligent  offspring  to  the  satis- 
faction of  that  great  ineffable  wish  of  Infinite  Perfection,  ce- 
lestial love,  and  even  of  human  righteousness,  that  evil  may 
be  overcome  with  good,  and  immortal  happiness,  which  iu 
'the  Desire  of  all  nations,  shall  come  ?' 

Besides, 'The  Lord  shall  REJOICE  in  His  works.'— Ps. 
civ.  31.  Surely  we  are  not  to  believe  in  a  Deity  who  would 
'Rejoice  in  His  works,'  when  the  all-beneficent  Desire  and 
Pleasure  of  His  nature,  should  be  forever  disappointed  and 
baffled  through  the  counter  machinations  of  His  own  crea- 


36  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

tares  ;  wlio  would  'Rnjoire  in  His  works,'  in  the  event  of  a 
consimimalion  of  His  creation  in  which  the  end  of  things 
should  he  infinitely  worse  than  the  heginning  or  progress; 
who  would  'Rejoii'cin  His  works'  whin  millions  of  the  im- 
mortal spirit-works  of  His  hands  shall  be  crushed  forever 
beneath  the  tremendous  doorn  of  everlasting  misery  and  sin- 
fulness. 

And  does  not  the  Wise  Man  tell  us  that 'the  Lord  heareth 
the  prayer  of  the  Righteous,'— Prov.  xv.  29 ;  and  that  'the 
Desire  of  the  Righteous  shall  be  granted?' — Prov.  x.  24. 
And  Dnvid,also,  that  'He  \\\\\fuljil  the  Desire  of  them  that 
fear  Him  ?'— Ps.  cxlv.  19. 

The  Saviour  taught,  'What  things  soever  ye  Desire  when 
ye  pray,  belkve  that  ye  Recpive  them,  and  VE  small  have 
THEM.' — Mark  xi.24.  And  in  the  next  verse  he  particularly 
forbids  the  utterance  of  selfish,  exclusive  prayers,  in  these 
words  :  'And  when  ye  stand  praying,  Forcive,  if  ye  have 
aught  against  ANY.'  This  ought  to  convince  us  that  the 
Christian  Gospel  requires  not  only  Universal  Prayers,  but 
that  such  prayers  be  trustful  and  believing. 

Jesus  said,  'I  know  that  God  heareth  me  always.'' — John 
li.  42.  We  cannot  indeed  believe  that  the  Son,  to  whom 
the  spirit  of  the  Father's  wisdom  and  knowledge  and  power 
were  not  given  by  measure,  should  have  ever  offered  any 
petitions  to  the  God  of  grace  that  were  not  to  be  most  fully  an- 
swered. Yet  we  have  seen  that  he  himself  prayed  for  the 
Salvation  of  sinners,  of  his  very  crucifiers, and  for  the  World. 

In  D;ivid's 'Psalm  ofTriuiTiph,' which  is  also  typical  and 
prophetical  of  the  glorious  Conquest  of  the  Saviour  of  the 
World,  it  is  written,  'The  King  [Messiah]  shall  joy  in 
Thy  strength,  O,  Lord!  and  in  Thy  Salvation  howgreat- 
ly  shall  he  Rejoice  !  Thou  hast  given  himhis\mkJi'v's,'Dy.^\v.v., 
and  hast  not  withholden  the  request  of  his  lips.'-Ps.  xxi.  1,2. 

In  sequence  to  the  Desire  of  Paul  for  the  salvation  of 
All  Israel,  it  is  not  to  be  forgotten  that  he  himself,  in 
his  consideration  of  the  subject,  positively  declared,  'And 
so  All  Israel  shall  be  Saved.' — Rom.  xi.  26.  And  also 
that  the  falling  of  them  should  be 'the  riches  of  the  Gen- 
tiles,' and  'the  reconciling  of  the  world.' 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  37 

Furthermore,  God  is  'Omnipotent,'' — Rev.  xix.  6,  '^ Al- 
mighty,^— xi.  17.  'Doeth  according  to  His  will  in  the  ar- 
mies of  heaven  and  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,' — 
Dan.  iv.  35.  'Doeth  all  His  Pleasure,' — Is.  xlvi.  10.  And 
'  There  is  no  re.stiiaint  to  the  Lord  to  save  by  Many  or  by 
Few,' — 1  Sam.xiv.  6. 

The  first  section  of  this  argument  is  in  entire  accordance 
with  Arminianism,  whose  most  distinguished  champions 
have  availed  themselves  of  the  same  strong,  unequivocal 
scripture  proofs,  that  the  Creator  ivould  be  the  Saviour  of 
the  entire  family  of  mankind,  were  there  nothing  to  prevent 
it ;  while  the  Calvinists,  on  the  contrary,  who  in  this  res- 
pect understand  the  Scriptures  too  well  to  doubt  the  infi- 
nite Ability  of  Deity  to  accomplish  'whatsoever  pleaseth 
Him,'  taking  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery  for  granted, 
very  well  know  that  this  dreadful  doom  could  not  possibly 
be  brought  about  except  it  were  of  the  absolute  and  eternal 
Will  of  Gf)d,  and  consequently  deny  in  toio  the  Divine 
Desire,  Will,  Purpose,  or  Pleasure  to  redeem  all  men. 
They  are  thus  obliged  to  narrow  down  the  interpretation  of 
all  those  universal  passages  which  the  Arminians  and  the 
Universalists  cling  to,  while  on  the  other  hand,  concerning 
the  principle  involved  in  the  second  section  of  this  argument, 
namely,  that  the  Sovereign  Jehovah  eternally  and  perfectly 
accomplishes  every  Desire  which  it  is  possible  for  His  wis- 
dom and  goodness  to  conceive,  and  every  Inclination  that 
can  possibly  enter  into  the  good  pleasure  of  His  Will,  the 
tables  are  turned,  and  the  C«Z«r«f5^  and  Universalist  are 
together  with  the  Bible  all  their  own,  to  hurl  the  doctrine  of 
an  evil  Antagonist  deity,  to  the  shades  of  oblivion,  to  prove 
that  'Therp  is  none  other  God  but  the  Lord,'  and  that 'The 
Lord  God  OMNIPOTENT  reigneth  !'  This  great  and 
sublime  truth  which  is  the  glory  of  old  Calvinism  is  a  terri- 
ble weapon  against  the  inconsistencies  of  Arminianism,  and 
would  swepp  that  doctrine  entirely  from  its  strong-hold  up- 
on the  Church,  as  the  mightier  truths  of  Universalism 
shall  themselves  ultimately  both  of  them,  were  it  not  for  the 
secret  deep  hidden  prayer  that  sparkles  in  the  souls  of  so 
many  of  the  «'oo<^  victims  of  the  darksome  faith  of  everlast- 

2 


38  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

ing  perdition,  that  'the  God  and  Father  of  AH,'  may  be  a 
belter  Being  than  they  have  dand  to  believe,  that  even 
thougli  He  cannot  save  the  world,  lie  really  Desiris  to  do 
it,  and  if  it  were  possible,  would.  Singular  indeed  it  is  that 
there  should  be  even  a  man,  that  lives  from  breath  to  breath 
upon  the  bountiful  goodness  of  a  Being  whose  mercies  are 
so  prcal  and  unsearchable,  possessed  of  a  heart  so  cramped 
and  selfish  as  not  to  desire  the  universal  deliverance  of  man 
from  the  oppressive  thraldom  of  evil.  Yes,  thankfully  there 
are  but  few  such,  but  alas  !  there  are  many,  a  great  many 
more  who  groan  under  the  fear  that  the  Great  Giver  of  all 
Good  Himself,  does  not  Desire  but  that  a  part  shall  be  re- 
deemed, or,  which  amounts  to  the  same,  cannot  redeem  the 
world  if  He  would  ! 

"In  the  voice 
Of  that  old  man,  there  wns  a  tone  which  thrili'd 
To  the  soul's  depths,  and  from  the  fount  ol  tears 
Drew  forth  rich  streams,  and  made  the  suppliant  feel 
He  had  a   rin;hieous  Advocate    with  God. 
He  prayed  for  All  Men,  that  time-stricken  one  ; 
And  as  he  dwelt  upon  the  love  which  would 
Al  some  far  period  bring  all  wanderers  back 
Unio  their  Father's  House,  his  whole  frame  shook 
With  stronj;  emotion,  and  his  voice  grew  faint, 
Till  he  could  speak  no  more." — Mrs.  J.  H.  Scott. 


OBJECTION. 

Man  is  not  a  mere  machine  that  God  can  move  and  direct  bis  will 
at  pleasure;  but  is  endowed  with  perfect  independence  and  fieedom 
of  impulse,  so  unlimilcd  and  omnipotent,  indeid,  in  its  nature,  if 
is  even  possible  for  him  to  jjo  down  into  irredeemable  suffering  in 
direct  opposition  to  his  Maker's  Desire. 

ANSWER. 

We  must  not  be  deceived  by  specious  words.  That 
word  machine,  so  pertly  on  the  end  of  every  simple  tongue 
that  speaks  its  sapient  dictum  in  behalf  of  unlimited  free 
agency,  is  often  thrown  from  the  lips  as  if  it  were  the  magic 
sound  that  should  stultify  the  voice  of  the  opposition  for- 
ever. We  had  better  attend  to  the  silver-toned  whisper- 
ings of  the  word,  if  we  have  regard  al  all  to  the  instructions 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  39 

of  inspiration,  and  leave  the  insipid  interjections  and  the 
guess-work  hallucinations  of  metaphysicians,  alone.  God 
himself  is  the  Vindicator  of  His  trulhs,  as  well  as  the  Au- 
thor of  them  ;  and  so  long  as  we  can  get  at  His  pure  truths 
through  His  own  word,  we  care  nothing  about  consequences, 
for  He  will  take  care  of  them. 

Now  hpre  is  a  passage  of  Scripture  :  'IN  HIM,  loe  live, 
and  MOVE.' — Acts  xvii.  2S.  If  there  is  any  meaning  in 
these  words,  it  is  a  meaning  so  direct  to  the  purpose,  so 
plain,  and  so  comprehensive,  that  it  ought  to  receive  the 
most  careful  consideration.  The  very  movements  and 
motions  of  all  that  live,  are  in  God.  There  is  no  use  now 
in  being  startled  at  consequences.  There  glitters  the  great 
universal  truth  in  the  radiant  splendor  of  the  page  whereon 
is  stamped  the  indefaceable  superscription  of  the  Everlasting 
One!  and  who  should  annihilate  it?  In  the  light  of  our 
blessed  revelation  we  cannot  believe  that  the  existence  of 
present  evil  is  against  the  Will  of  God,  nor  that  such  evil 
can  ever  transgress  the  limits  in  which  the  eternal  wisdom 
fixes  and  guides  it,  any  more  than  we  can  believe  that  evil 
is  an  eternal  principle,  an  end  and  not  a  means,  and  never 
to  be  universally  glorified  in  good. 

Has  the  believer  in  the  independence  of  the  Divine  Will 
from  the  heart  of  man,  ever  considered  the  force  of  such 
passages  as  the  following  upon  this  point,  with  which  the 
Scriptures  so  profusely  abound  ?  ^I  loill  Bring  the  blind 
by  a  way  that  they  know  not ;  I  will  Lead  them  in  paths 
that  they  have  not  known.  I  will  make  darkness  light  be- 
fore them,  and  crooked  things  straight.  These  things 
WILL  I  DO  unto  them  and  NOT  forsake  them,  [to  work 
out  their  own  salvation  in  the  weakness  and  nothingness  of 
their  poor  nature.]  They  shall  be  turned  back,  they  shall 
be  greatly  ashamed,' [sorrowful,  repentant.] — Is.  xlii.  16,  17. 

'Itvill  Give  them  an  heart  to  know  Me,  that  I  am  the 
Lord  ;  and  they  shall  be  My  people,  and  I  will  be  their 
God  :  for  they  shall  return  unto  Me  with  their  whole  heart.* 
— Jer.  xxiv.  7.  Observe  here,  and  in  all  similar  promises, 
the  utter  dissemblance  of  anything  like  conditionality  or 
contingency.     The  uniform  and  strong  language  of  the  tes- 


40 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 


timony  is,  'I  WILL,'  and  'THEY  SHALL.'  Yet  these 
iniperaiive  expressions  are  not  employed  in  the  sense  of 
forcible  or  compi/hivc  subjection  ;  for  it  is  explcs^ly  written, 
that  tlie  salvation  which  God  provides  is  received  'with  their 
whole  heart.^ 

'  Tiirn  Thou  me,  and  I  shall  he  turned  ;  for  Thou  art  the 
Lord  my  God. — Jer.  xxxi.  18.  ^Lead  me  in  Thy  truth, 
and  teach  nie,'  prayed  the  Psalmist  ;  for  Thou  art  ihe  God 
of  my  Salvation.'' — Ps.  xxv.  5.  Docs  this  .^-ourul  like  the 
doctrine  of  free  agency  and  self-salvation  ?  Yet  it  is  the 
oft-rciierated  declaration  of  the  sacred  hooks,  that  'of  our- 
selves we  can  do  nothing  ;'  that  'we  are  not  sufficient  of  our- 
selves, [even]  to  think  anything  as  of  ourselves  ;  hut  our 
sufficiency  is  of  God.' — 2  Cor.  iii.  5. 

Oh,  were  it  true  that  our  immortal  destinies  for  happiness 
or  misery  were  suspended  upon  the  frail  things  of  this  weak 
and  brief  existence,  upon  the  'filthy  rags' of  our  own  righ- 
teousnesses, and  the  good  or  evil  self-swaying  of  a  will  of 
feeble  moral  strength,  abandoned  to  itself; — were  it  rvot 
true  that  the  only  hope  of  salvation  from  evil  for  the  best,  for 
ALL  of  us,  is  the  goodness,  mercy  and  power  of  our  Maker, 
of  Him  alone,  through  the  unfailing  means  of  His  appoint- 
ment ;  what  a  universal  atmosphere  of  gloom,  and  grief, 
and  lamentations,  and  sufferings,  would  thicken  and  settle 
upon  the  broad  canopy  of  creation  !  And  if  a  single  crea- 
lure  of  the  Father's  family  of  whom  He  Desires  the  salva- 
tion, shall  be  lost  in  the  terrible  gulf  of  'the  bottomless  pit* 
forever,  if  these  great  things  hang  at  such  loose  ends  and 
are  so  deplorably  involved  in  uncertainty,  and  chance,  then 
I  say  there  is  no  solid  ground  of  hope  for  any  soul  of  man, 
and  we  might  all  as  well  be  open  Atheists  at  once.  Yea, 
further,  if  the  souls  of  all  men  are  naturally  and  wholly 
prone  to  evil,  and  are  Avilhal  invested  with  sufficient  power 
to  resist  the  omnipotent  attraction  of  the  Divine  perfections 
to  all  eternity,  the  only  consummation  of  things  at  last 
must  inevitably  be,  one  grand  sublime  exhibition  of  a  uni- 
versal hell,  and  the  everlasting  damnation  of  the  whole  ag- 
gregated concourse  of  our  species  ! 

Ah,  how  long  must  this  simple  and   positive   declaration 


REASONS    FOR   OUR   HOPE.  41 

of  Jesus  be  disregarded,  in  the  unwholesome  speculations 
of  mankind  upon  this  question?  'No  man  can  come  unto 
me,  except  the  Father  which  hath  sent  me  draw  him.' — Joha 
vi.  44.  And  yet,  hath  God  created  millions  of  souls,  who 
never  can  be  saved,  but  who  must  be  cruelly  tormented  ia 
a  universe  of  misery  as  long  as  the  ages  of  eternity  and  the 
energies  of  Omnipotence  are  unexhausted,  merely  because 
He  will  not  Draio  them  unto  Him  ?  Such  a  thought  itself 
is  almost  blasphemous,  yet  the  fault  of  so  monstrous  a  re- 
flection is  the  blame  of  the  system  which  forces  such  con- 
siderations upon  us,  and  not  ours.  But  we  have  in  the  very 
words  of  Jesus  himself,  too  explicit  a  disproval  of  such  a 
proposition  to  substitute  anything  of  our  own.  It  is  this  : 
'If  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  I  will  Draw  All  Men  unto 
Me.'— John  xii.  32. 

This  last  objection  of  the  free  agency  of  man  being  em- 
powered to  defeat  the  Desire  of  the  Lord  for  universal  sal- 
vation, shall  be  finally  dispo.'^ed  of  here  by  one  more  text, 
whose  bearing  on  the  subject  seems  to  be  too  obvious  to  re- 
require  any  illustration.  'A  man's  heart  deviseth  his  way, 
but  the  Lord  Directeth  his  steps.^ — Pro  v.  xvi.  9. 


PROPOSITION  SECOND. 

It  is  The    Eternal   PURPOSE  of  Jehovah  that  All  Men 
shall  be  Ultimately  Holy  and  Blessed. 

PROOFS. 

'According  to  His  PURPOSE  and  Grace  in  Christ  Je- 
sus BEFORE  THE  WORLD  BEGAN,  [ages  before  the  entrance  of 
evil,  even,  and  here  is  an  evidence  that  the  existence  of  sin, 
its  remedy,  and  its  eventual  consummation  were  specially 
foreknown  and  decreed  from  the  beginning,]  HE  HATH 
ABOLISHED  DEATH,  [the  moral  death  which  came  upon 
Adam  in  the  day  of  transgression, and  which  is  the  inheritance 
of  all  men,]  and  hath  brought  LIFE,  [the  regenerated  life  of 
salvation,]  and  Immortality,  to  light  through  the  Gospel.' 
And  Paul  immediately  adds  'Whereunto  I  am  appointed  a 
Preacher.'      Singular  that  men  should  imagine  St.  Paul  to 


42  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

have  believed  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery  and  eternal 
death,  who  taught  ilml  God  should  ullerly  abolish  death, 
and  crown  all  iinnioriality  with  tlie  life  which  the  pure 
and  perfect  Exemplar  brought  lo  light  through  the  Gospel ; 
that  this  was  the  Ancient  Purpose  of  God,  and  ns  'He 
speaketh  of  things  that  be  not  as  though  they  were,'  so  he 
speaks  of  this  annihilation  of  death  with  all  confidence,  as 
tho\igh  it  were  already  accomplished  ;  and  to  this  Gospel 
of  the  Destruction  of  Evil  and  of  Universal  Salvation 
was  St.  Paul  ordained  a  Preacher.  Is  it  not  clear  to  you 
that  St.  Paul  was  a  Universali;<t  Preacher?  See  on  this 
point,  1  Tim.  ii.  1--7  ;  iv.  9-11  ;  i.  9--15  ;  2  Tim.  i,  7--12. 

It  ought  to  be  recollected  ihathe  does  not  intimate  in  this 
passage  nor  in  any  other,  that  'the  gospel  of  glad  tidings' 
by  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  brought  to  light  or  demonstra- 
ted the  existence  of  a  region  of  horrible  demons,  eternal 
torments,  and  everlasting  death.  Nothing  of  this  kind, 
forsooth,  is  contained  in  the  great  Purposes  of  God.  And 
does  anything  whatever  exist  which  is  not  comprised  with- 
in the  great  circumference  oi  God's  Eternal  Purpose  ? — Be- 
sides, Paul  was  ordained, 

'To  preach  among  the  Gentiles  ihe  Unsearchable  Riches 
of  Christ,  and  to  make  ALL  MEN  see,  WHAT  is  the  Fel- 
lowship of  the  Mystery,  \\\\\c\i  fi-om  the  Beginning  of  tlie 
World  hath  been  "hid  in  God,-  -according  to  THE  ETER- 
NAL PURPOSE,  which  He  Purposed  in  Christ  Jesus  our 
Lord.' — Eph.  iii.  9—11.  Here  it  is  seen  that  the  mis- 
sion of 'the  Saviour  of  the  World'  to  reveal  'the  unsearcha- 
ble riches'  which  God  shall  develope  through  him  from  the 
great  'Mystery'  of  Evil,  a  mystery  even  from  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world  till  then,  is  an  Eternal  Purpose. 

Now,  airain,  listen  ;  'He  hath  PURPOSED  IN  HIM- 
SELF, That  in  the  Dispensation  of  the  Fulness  of  Times, 
He  might  Gather  together  i.N  one,  ALL  THINGS,  in  Christ, 
both  which  are  in  heaven  and  which  are  on  earth.'— Eph.  i. 
9,  10.  The  Greek  of  this  passage  expresses,  more  clearly 
than  the  translation,  the  idea  of  a  Re-Heading.,  a  Re-Lni- 
ting,  of  All  Things  to  Christ,  a  Restoration  of  what  is  dis- 
joined or   cut  off  from   its  proper  place.     It  is  one  ot  the 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  43 

most  glorious  promises  of  Universal  Redemption  which  the 
Scriptures  contain,  and  one  whose  sense  is  so  luci  I  and 
brilliant,  that  it  has  cost  the  popular  'orthodox'  conimenta- 
tors  more  severe  and  tedious  labor  to  smother  and  put  out  its 
obvious  meaning,  than  almost  any  other  passage  of  the 
kind  we  can  think  of. 

'For  THIS  PURPOSE  was  the  Son  of  God  manifested, 
That  he  might  Destroy  the  Works  of  the  Devil,'  [viz  : 
temptation,  sin,  error  and  ignorance,  sorrow,  suffering,  and 
death.] — 1  John  iii.  8.  O,  who  would  not  rather  give  cre- 
dence to  this  broad  testimony  of  the  final  extinguishment  of 
evil,  an  end  of  things  which  would  so  highly  exalt  Chris- 
tianity above  all  other  systems  or  sciences  in  the  world,  an 
end  so  well  worthy  of  the  God  of  the  Universe,  and  which 
would  so  infinitely  exemplify  His  glory,  than  to  believe  that 
dreadful  and  contrary  teaching  of  the  creeds  of  mens'devis- 
ings,  that  God  shall  not  only  immortalize  but  infinitely  mag- 
nify the  evils  of  time  in  eternity,  and  grant  them  a  separate 
universe,  larger  perchance  than  all  the  dominions  of  Heaven, 
where  the  Triumphant  and  Mighty  Prince  of  Evil  shall 
eternally  reign  in  his  majestic  glory  as  sovereign  and  inde- 
pendent in  his  sphere,  as  the  Original  and  the  Good  ? 

What  was  the  Everlasting  Decree  of  Jehovah  respecting 
the  children  of  men  ?  Let  the  Bible  answer  :  'I  will  De- 
clare THE  DECREE  :  the  Lord  hath  said  unto  me.  Thou 
art  My  Son,  this  day  have  I  begotten  thee.  Ask  of  Me, 
and  I  will  Give  thee  the  Heathen /or  thine  hiheritance, 
and  the  Uttermost  Parts  of  the  Earth  for  thy  Possession.^ 
— Ps.  ii.  7,  8.  Here  we  have  a  plain  testimony  of  the  De- 
cretal Purpose  of  the  King  of  Kings  to 'subdue  all  things 
unto  himself,'  through  the  mission  and  spiritual  ministry 
of  the  Son.  Now  behold  a  specimen  of  the  obliquity  and 
degeneracy  of  the  'wisdom  of  this  world.'  The  Presbyteri- 
an 'Confession  of  Faith,'  tells  of  an  eternal  and  immutable 
Decree  in  the  counsels  of  heaven,  whereby  according  to  the 
supreme  and  absolute  Will  of  God,  and  without  the  least 
foresight  of  either  faith  or  good  works,  because  He  foreor- 
dains whatsoever  comes  to  pass,  which  foreordination  ex- 
tends not  only  to  the  first  fall,    but  to  all  other  sins  in    par- 


44  REASONS    FOR    OUH    HOPE. 

ticular,  certain  men  and  angels,  wlioso  number  was  so  cer- 
tain and  definite  tiiat  it  never  can  be  either  increased  or  di- 
minished, were  particularly  predestinated  to  endless  happi- 
ness, while  all  the  rest  of  mankind  that  should  be  created, 
to  whom  the  ministry  of  the  Spirit  should  be  purposely 
withheld,  were  irretrievably  doomed  and  foreordained  to 
everlasting  death,  to  the  glory  of  His  vindictive  Justice  ! 
This  is  a  strong  example  of  the  fearful  variancy  which  sub- 
sists between  the  glorious  and  ennobling  teachings  of  the 
divine  record,  and  the  unworthy,  the  degrading  conceptions 
of  celestial  things  which  are  woven  into  the  written  and 
standard  superstitions  of  perverted  intellects.  It  would  per- 
haps be  edifying  and  amusing  to  denote  all  along  through 
the  course  ofonrargument,  the  great-gulph  contrast  between 
the  teachings  of  the  various  Partial  ist  creeds  on  many  points, 
and  the  plain  language  of  those  prophecies  which  came  in 
the  olden  time  'not  in  words  which  man's  wisdom  teacheth, 
but  w^hich  the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth.'  But  as  this  did  not 
enter  into  our  plan,  we  propose  rather  towards  the  end  of 
our  book,  to  treat  the  reader  to  a  chapter  of  the  Beauties  of 
the  Creeds. 

Again,  'The  Father  Sent  the  So7i  [for  this  Purpose,— ex- 
pressly Designed  him]  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the  World.' 
—  1  John  iv.  14.  Now  let  me  ask  those  who  believe  and 
teach  that  the  Father  sent  the  Son  only  for  the  purpose  of 
being  the  Saviour  of  the  elect,  whom  God  should  save,  or  of 
the  righteous,  who  should  save  themselves,  let  me  entreat 
them  to  look  this  plain  scripture  in  the  face,  fairly,  and 
tell  us  whether  it  is  not  of  itself  a  triumphant  proof  of  our 
Proposition  ?  Mark  its  conciseness,  its  clearness,  and  its 
force.  Consider  how  fruitless  and  vain  would  be  the  task 
of  the  TJniversalist  to  evade  the  strength  of  that  passage,  were 
it  to  have  1  een  written  'The  Father  did  not  send  the  Son  to 
be  the  Saviour  of  the  World.'  Can  you  possibly  distil  from 
the  inmost  essence  of  those  brief  and  easy  words,  any  other 
signification  whatever,  than  the  Father's  righteous  Inten- 
tion to  redeem  the  world  of  the  lost  through  the  mediation 
of  Jesus  Christ?  If  I  can  get  you  to  agree  to  this,  and 
surely,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  believer  in   Christ  cannot 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  45 

honestly  refuse  credence  to  a  proposition  which  is  so  plainly 
taught,  I  am  quite  as  confident  that  I  shall  be  able  also  to 
convince  you  that  whatever  God  hath  Determined,  'shall 
surely  be  brought  to  pass.' 

Here  is  another  passage  which  beautifully  illustrates  the 
merciful  disposition  and  benevolent  intentions  of  the  Heav- 
enly Parent  towards  the  children  of  men.  'I  know  the 
thoughts  which  I  Think  toivard  Yozi,  saith  the  Lord, 
thoughts  of  Peace  and  NOT  of  Evil,  to  Give  you  an  Ex- 
pected [a  hopeful]  End.  Then  shall  ye  call  upon  Me,  and 
ye  shall  go  and  pray  unto  Me,  and  I  will  hearken  unto  you, 
and  ye  shall  seek  Me,  and  shall  find  Me.' — Jer.  xxix.  11 
"13.     Mark,  asfain,  'Ye  Shall  !'  'I  Will!' 

'God  hath  NOT  APPOINTED  Us  to  Wrath,  but 
[He  hath  Appointed  Us]  *  to  obtain  salvation  by  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  who  died  for  Us,'  [even  'for  all,'  'for  every 
man,'  for  his 'enemies, "for  the  whole  world.'] — 1  Thess.  v. 
9,  10. 

There  are  some,  and  there  have  been  theologians  of  em- 
inence, who  have  professed  to  disbelieve  in  any  such  thing 
as  an  original,  vast,  and  all-comprehending  Design,  or  Pur- 
pose of  God  in  the  creation  of  the  universe.  Their  reason- 
ings have  amounted  to  this.  That  in  the  event  of  creating 
at  all,  it  was  well  known  to  Deity  that  certain  circumstan- 
ces must  necessarily  arise  which  would  operate  counter  to 
the  general  good  tendency  of  things,  and  thus  introduce  into 
the  elements  of  the  spiritual  and  natural  world,  a  confusion 
that  to  an  immense  extent  would  be  absolutely  irremediable 
forever.  This  being  the  case,  it  were  impossible  for  God 
to  fix  and  chain  the  order  and  relations  of  things  to  all  eter- 
nity, sufficient  to  bring  about  an  ultimate  consummation 
which  would  comprise  the  highest  possible  excellence  and 
harmony  of  all  things.  Consequently,  all  that  may  be  in- 
ferred concerning  any  eternal  or  original  Purpose,  is,  accor- 
ding to  this  view,  that  God  designed  to  work  all  things  to- 
gether so  that  as  much  good  as  possible  should  be  evolved, 
under  the  circumstances ;  or  in  other  words,  that  He  resolv- 
ed to  do  as  well  as  He  could,  (though,  indeed,  He  could  not 
bate  the  awful  demands  of  His  Justice  for  the  sake  of  good,) 


46  REASONS    FOE    OUR  HOPE. 

while  the  act  of  creation  itself,  though  it  should  inevitably 
result  in  the  production  of  so  much  final,  endless  evil,  was 
perfectly  justii'Iable  on  the  supposition  that  God  was  confi- 
dent of  His  ability  to  produce  in  the  end  of  things  a  larger 
aggregate  of  good  than  evil.  (Yet  strange  to  say,  the 
abettors  of  this  same  theory  fix  their  criterion  of  human  sal- 
vation at  a  mark,  such  that,  not  one-millionth  scarcely  of  the 
whole  family  of  our  race  from  Adam  until  now  shall  possi- 
bly escape  the  doom  of  endless  burnings  I)  It  would  seem 
that  no  individual  who  is  tolerably  conversant  with  the 
Scriptures,  could  entertain  so  unworthy,  so  inglorious  an 
opinion  concerning  the  Divine  Purposes,  as  that  which  we 
have  above  cited.  But  there  is  such  an  almost  irradicable 
predisposition  in  the  minds  of  the  greatest  part  of  Christen- 
dom, and  even  w'ith  many  of  the  pious  and  learned,  in 
favor  of  the  truth  of  endless  misery,  that  almost  any  straw 
of  a  support  will  be  caught  at  that  it  may  be  kept  afloat,  no 
matter  if  tliat  supporting  principle  be  as  contradictory  to  rev- 
elation and  to  reason  as  the  other.  It  will  require  but  very- 
little  reflection  on  the  part  of  the  reader  to  discover  how 
such  a  conception  of  things  as  we  have  stated  above,  debases 
the  lofty,  infinite  attributes  of  Jehovah,  His  Power  aud 
Wisdom,  even  down  upon  a  level  in  kind  with  the  imperfec- 
tion of  those  qualities  in  man. 

But  what  possible  view  of  this  question  except  that  which 
Universalism  assumes,  is  reconcilable  with  this  grand  theo- 
logical maxim,  this  infallible  test  of  religious  truth,  that  each 
of  the  divine  attributes  are  illimitable  and  infinite  in  mea- 
sure ?  Or  shall  we  say  that  the  wonderful  and  mighty 
work  of  this  beautiful  and  harmonious  creation  was  under- 
taken by  the  Almighty  Architect  without  regard  to  any  de- 
fined, all-skilful,  and  all-comprehensive  Plan, — that  this  stu- 
pendous machinery  of  the  worlds  was  all  broken  into  being 
and  hurled  into  its  complicated  evolutions  at  hazard,  and 
blindly  regardless  of  its  immense  consequences,  of  its  pro- 
gressive developments  of,  and  final  resolution  into,  weal  or 
woe,  with  the  myriad  immortal  hosts  with  which  it  is  peo- 
pled ?  This,  surely,  it  were  madness  to  suppose,  for  it  is 
denied  by  every  teaching  which  is  spoken  from  the  glories 


^^ASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  47 

of  nature,  through  the  admirable  traces  of  design  that  are 
everywhere  discoverable,  and  all  the  skilful  adaptations  of 
the  elements  and  objects  of  the  creation  which  are  seen,  to 
the  production  of  good  and  the  perpetuation  of  harmony. 
A  proposition  like  this  would  arraign  the  Wisdom  of  God. 
Shall  we  then  say,  as  there  seems  to  be  a  lingering  notion 
in  the  creeds,  that  until  the  fall  of  man,  the  earth  and  man 
and  all  things  were  perfect  ;  that  the  introduction  of  evil 
was  a  casualty  unforseen  and  unprovided-for,  and  which 
consequently  did  not  enter  into  the  original  Design  of  crea- 
tion, which  design  was  all  comsummated  in  perfection 
universal,  when  the  rebellion  of  the  angels  and  the  fall  of 
humanity  ushered  into  the  universe  irremediable  ruin  ? — 
Nay,  for  we  should  impugn  the  infinite  Knowledge.  Should 
we  then  admit  the  Arminian  proposition  of  God's  original 
purpose,  firm  and  determinate,  to  confer  immortal  happiness 
upon  all  the  creatures  of  His  hands,  even  though  the  exis- 
tence of  evil  were  foreseen,  a  Purpose  which  extended  uni- 
formly down  even  to  the  advent  of  the  Redeemer ;  yet,  af- 
ter all,  that  its  accomplishment  was  allowed  to  hinge  upon 
the  variableness  of  subordinate  circumstances,  upon  the 
brittle  thread  of  emergency  and  conditionality,  upon  the 
frail  impulses  and  manifestations  of  creature  wills,  so  that 
the  eternal  purpose  must  inevitably  be  swallowed  up  of  ever- 
lasting and  inglorious  defeat  ?  Not  with  the  Scriptures  in 
our  hands  could  we  countenance  such  an  opinion,  for  we 
should  be  continually  upbraided  with  a  denial  of  the  Divine 
Omnipotence ^  which  is  sovereign  over  every  soul  of  man  to 
turn  it 'whithersoever  He  will.'  What  then  ?  Ought  we 
to  acknowledge  with  the  Calvinist,  that  all  things,  even  to 
the  most  trivial  and  minute  circumstance  that  ever  bubbled 
upon  the  sea  of  existence,  that  every  motion  of  nature,  and 
every  slight  or  mighty  impulse  of  mind  or  instinct,  whether 
it  open  into  evil  or  good,  are  all  universally  and  forever  in- 
terwoven into  the  sure  dependencies  of  a  magnificent  series 
of  cause  and  effect,  which  to  the  veriest  item  all  revolves 
in  the  unerring  lines  and  fixed  courses  designated  by  the 
unwavering  index  of  the  Infinite  and  Original  Decree  ? 
but  that  the  great  cycle  of  eternity  shall  roll  its  round   and 


48  KEASONS   FOR   OTTR   HOPE. 

evil,  and  sufToring,  and  darkness  shall  still  prevail?  Is  this 
a  God-worthy  idea  of  the  Purpose  of  Deity  in  creation  ? — 
Not  if  that  Being  is  a  God  of  universal  Love  and  Goodness. 
Which  of  these  views,  then,  of  this  important  subject,  bears 
most  the  semblance  of  truth  ?  for  beyond  these  several  con- 
clusions men  have  searched  in  vain  for  alternatives.  For 
our  own  part,  we  can  rest  in  no  other  but  that  which  we 
have  briefly  developed  above  from  the  Scriptures,  the  same 
which  a  distinguished  poet  conceived  and  sung  in  the 
following  lofty  strain  : 

"  From  the  wide  complex 
Of  co-existent  natures,  there  shall  rise 
One  Order,  Ail-involving  and  entire  ; 
For  He,  beholding  in  the  sacred  light 
Of  His  essential  Reason,  all  the  shapes 
Of  swift  Contmgence,  all  successive  ties 
Of  action  propagated  through  the  sum 
Of  possible  existence, — He,  at  once, 
Down  the  long  series  of  eventful    time, 
So  fix'd  the  dates  of  being,  so  dispos'd 
To  every  living  soul  of  every  kind 
The  field  of  motion  and  the  hour  of  rest. 
That  all  conspired  to  His  Supreme  Design, — 
TO  UNIVERSAL  GOOD."— Akenside. 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  ARGUMENT, 

Shall  this  Great  Purpose  of  the  Almighty  be  Accomplished? 
'The  Lord  of  hosts  hath  sworn,  saying,  Surely  as  I 
have  Thought,  so  shall  it  come  to  pass ;  and  as  I  have 
Purposed,  so  shall  it  stand.^ — Is.  xiv.  24.  Yet,  although 
'He  hath  Purposed  in  Himself  to  Gather  together  in  One 
All  Things,'  some  Christians  earnestly  deny  that  God  ever 
Purposed  any  thing  of  the  kind,  while  others  insist  that 
such  a  Purpose  can  never  be  accomplished  if  it  were  made. 
'I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  else !  I  am  God,  and 
there  is  none  like  Me !  Declaring  [Decreeing]  the  End 
from  the  Beginning,  and  from  Ancient  times  the  things 
that  are  not  yet  done,  [and]  saying,  My  Counsel  shall 
Stand,  and  I  ivill  Do  All  My  Pleasure  /'—Is,  xlvi.  9, 10. 


REASONS    FOR    OTJR   HOPE.  49 

'Yea,  I  have  spoken  it,  I  will  also  Bring  it  to  Pass.  I 
^are  Purposed  IT, — I  will  also  DO  IT!'  [Do  what?  Pro- 
cure the  Salvation  of  the  wicked.  Listen :]  'Hearken 
unto  Me  ye  stubborn-hearted,  that  are/ar  from  righteous- 
ness :  I  will  bring  near  My  Righteousness  ;  it  shall  not 
be  far  off,  and  My  Salvation  shall  not  tarry :  and  I  will 
place  Salvation  in  Zion  for  Israel,  My  glory.'— Is.  xlvi. 
10—13.  It  is  never,  in  fact,  intimated  in  the  Scriptures 
that  men  must  convert  and  save  themselves,  in  order  to 
fulfil  the  Great  Purposes  of  .Jehovah  ;  that  the  Salvation 
of  God  tarrieth  or  'waiteth  upon  man's  weak  will  or  min- 
istry.' But  the  general  tone  of  all  the  Bible  is,  in  this 
respect,  /,  the  Lord  have  Purposed,  and  I  will  also  Fulfil. 

'I  have  spoken  it,  I  have  Purposed  it,  and  will  not 
repent,  neither  will  I  turn  back  from  it.'— Jer.  iv.  28. 

'  Ye  shall  be  Mij  people,  and  I  will  be  your  God.  For 
behold,  the  whirlwind  of  the  Lord  goeth  forth  with  fury, 
a  continuing  whirlwind  ;  it  shall  fall  with  pain  upon  the 
head  of  the  wicked.  The  fierce  anger  of  the  Lord  shall 
not  return  until  He  hath  DONE  IT,  [such  is  the  florid, 
poetic  style  in  which  the  Prophets  describe  the  punitive 
and  disciplinary  means  by  which  the  King  and  Father  of 
men  will  bring  ^the  loicked'  to  become  ^ His  People. ^1  and 
until  He  have  Performed  the  Intents  [the  Purposes]  of 
His  heart.  In  the  Latter  Days  ye  shall  consider  it.' — Jer. 
XXX.  22-24. 

'That  that  is  Determined  [Decreed,  Purposed,]  shall  be 
done  !' — Dan  xi.  36. 

'The  Lord  Jehovah  hath  Purposed,  and  who  shall  dis- 
annul it  ?  His  hand  is  stretched  out,  and  who  shall  turn 
it  back  ?'— Is.  xiv.  27. 

'I  will  work,  and  who  shall  let  [prevent]  it  ?' — Is.  xliii. 
13.  Arminianism  answers.  The  mighty  Spirit  of  Evil  and 
his  angels,  and  the  rebelling  self-power  of  millions  of  unre- 
generate  hearts. 

'I  know,  O  Lord,  that  Thou  canst  do  Everything.' — Job 
xlii.  2. 

'If  He  form  such  a  Purpose  concerning  Man,  the  spirit 
and  the  breath  He  will  Gather  to   Himself :     All  Flesh 


50  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

should  expire  together,  and  Man  return  to  the  dust.' — Job, 
xxxiv.  14.  15,  INfoyes'  translation.  For,  'Every  Purpose 
of  the  Lord  shall  be  Performed.' — Jer.  li.  29. 

The  immense  array  of  passages  which  the  Scriptures- 
contain  to  this  same  purpose,  in  discountenance  of  the  idea 
of  the  existence  of  counter  powers  and  Tnctaphysicnl  phe- 
nomena in  the  universe  which  shall  operate  to  defeat  liic 
will  or  Purposes  of  the  Almighty,  are  not  to  be  slightly 
regarded,  or  at  once  set  aside  and  exchanged  for  the  weak, 
unsafe  deductions  of  ill-grounded  human  philosophy  upon 
this  subject.  Our  amassments  of  the  text-proofs  of  this 
particular  proposition,  which  is  only  subordinate  yet  tribu- 
tary to  our  general  argument,  are  distributed,  it  ought  to  be 
observed,  all  along  under  a  variety  of  aspects  throughout  the 
course  of  our  book.  We  should  wish  to  have  the  full  force 
of  all  the  passages  of  this  class,  especially  and  constantly 
awakened  in  the  reader's  mind  ;  for  we  deem  it,  in  the  ag- 
gregate, the  most  complete  and  satisfactory  argument 
against  the  doctrine  of  Contingency,  and  the  popular  notions 
in  regard  to  'Free  Agency,'  that  can  possibly  be  preferred 
on  the  negative  of  those  questions.  This  idea  of  the  inter- 
vention of  obstacles  between  God  and  His  Purposes, — this 
morbid  doubt  and  unbelief  of  the  Divine  Ability  to  work 
out  to  the  uttermost  all  the  good  counsel  of  infinite  Love,  on 
the  fallacious  ground  that  the  mighty  Will  of  God  is  actu- 
ally wrought  against  by  the  human  will  in  this  world, — we 
like  it  not,  we  cannot  find  place  for  such  a  belief.  Nothing 
so  much  undeifies  the  Everlasting  Sovereign  in  our  imagi- 
nation as  conceptions  of  this  nature.  If  the  Power  and 
Wisdom  of  God  were  insufficient  to  overrule  and  direct 
every  possible  flit  of  circumstance,  of  great  and  small  de- 
gree, all  into  the  constant  current  of  the  Vast  Original 
and  Beneficent  Purpose,  rolling  onward  to  completion, — or, 

"  Did  He  o'erlook  the  least  of  His  concerns, 
(Since  from  the   least,  the  Greatest  oft   originate,) 
Then  unforseen  Contingence  might  alarm  Hun, 
And  disturb  the  smooth  and  even  course  of  His 
Affairs." — Cowper. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  51 

Objection. 
The  gracious  Purposes  of  God  do  not  extend  towards  the  wick- 
ed; the  original  vast  Desi;,'n  of  tlie  Deity  could  not  have  comprised 
the  salvation  of  those  who  should  wilfully  and  etlectually  persevere 
against  the  striving  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  For,  a  Purpose  tiiat  should 
thusincludethe  redemption  ofihe  sinful  and  the  righteous  indefiniie- 
ly,  would  not  only  be  opposed  to  the  demands  of  Justice,  but  in- 
terfere with  the  freedom  of  hmnan  volition  ;  (or  all  men  could  not 
be  saved  unless  millions  were  forced  into  salvation,  against  their 
inclination,  which  God  never  would  do.  Thus,  all  men  being  left 
free  to  their  choice  of  endless  perdition  or  happiness,  the  wicked 
must  forever  frustrate  the  benevolent  Intentions  which  God  would 
otherwise  cherish  in  their  behalf. 

ANSWER. 

First,  it  is  assumed  that  the  Eternal  Purpose  of  the  Lord 
only  comprised  the  salvation  of  the  righteous.  How  does 
this  compare  with  the  Bible  ?  Let  us  see.  'And  you  that 
were  sometimes  alienated,  and  €?iemies  in  your  minds  by 
wicked  works,  yet  now  hath  He  reconciled.'' — Col.  i.  2L 
'He  shall  have  put  down  all  rule,  and  all  authority  and  pow- 
er, for  he  must  reign  till  he  hath  put  all  Enemies  under  his 
feet,  until  the  last  enemy,  Death,  [evil,  corruption,]  shall  be 
destroyed,  when  All  Things  shall  be  Subdued  unto  him, 
and  God  shall  be  All  in  All.'— 1  Cor.  xv.  24-28.  'The 
Son  of  Man  came  not  to  call  the  Righteous,  but  Sinners  to 
Repentance.' — Mark  ii.  17.  He  was  sent  'To  seek  and  to 
save  that  which  loas  Lost.'' — Luke  xix.  10.  'To  save  Sin- 
ners,' yea,  even  'the  chief.' — 1  Tim.  i.  15.  To  bring  the 
wicked,  which  were  not  God's  people,  to  become  His  peo- 
ple.— Hos.  ii.  23  ;  John  x.  16,  &c.  Do  not  these  convince 
the  objector  that  the  Purpose  of  the  Lord  in  His  salvation, 
extends  alike  towards  the  Alienated  and  the  Subjugated,  the 
Evil  and  the  Good  ?  Yet  the  objection  was  indeed  suffi- 
ciently covered  by  the  evidences  of  the  Universality  of  the 
Divine  Purpose  in  the  scheme  of  redemption,  exhibited  in 
the  former  part  of  the  present  argument. 

But  here  is  another  point.  None  but  the  righteous  can 
be  saved,  you  say.  Now  the  Bible  affirms,  'There  is  none 
Righteous,  no.  Not  One.' — Rom.  iii.  10.  'The  Scriptures 
have  concluded  all  under  sin.' — Gal.  iii.  22.      'God    hath 


52  REASONS    FOR    OUR    IIOPK. 

concliulcil  ALL  in  unbelief,  [why  ?]  that  he  might  have  Mer- 
cy upon  All.'' — Rorii.  xi.  32. 

Aiul  here  is  anollier  scriptural  reason  why  the  Purpose 
of  God  for  salvation  is  Universal,  and  embraces  all  distinc- 
tions of  men.  'By  Grack  ye  are  saved, — not  of  works.'' 
We  cannot  save  ourselves,  for  'No  man  can  come  unto  me,' 
said  Jesus,  'except  it  were  given  him  of  my  Father.' — John 
vi.  65.  And  it  is  expressly  written,  that  this  'Grace  of 
God  bringeth  Salvation  to  All  Men.' — Titus  ii.  11. 

Besides,  it  is  impossible  for  any  man  to  earn  or  merit  the 
immortal  inheritance,  consequently  'eternal  life'  must  be 
'THE  Gift  of  God.' — Rom.  vi.  23.  And  God  is  an  Impartial 
Giver,  for  'He  is  not  a  Re.specter  of  any.' — 2  Sam.  xiv.  14. 
And  it  is  declared,  in  fact,  that,  'through  the  righteousness 
of  one,  THE  Free  Gift  [not  Offer,  mind,]  has  passed  unto 
All  Men.'— Rom.  v.  18. 

The  objection  under  review  likewise  speaks  of  cflectual 
strivancc  on  the  part  of  the  \vicked,  against  the  operations 
of  the  mighty  Spirit  of  God,  in  the  manifestations  of  His 
Grace.  Is  this  a  doctrine  of  the  Scriptures  ?  'Is  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  straitened?' — Micah  ii.  7.  'None  can  stay  His 
hand,  or  say  unto  Him,  What  doest  Thou  ?' — Dan.  iv,  35. 
'Who  hath  directed  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  ?'— Is.  xl.  13. 
'He  is  Great  in  Counsel,  and  Mighty  in  work,'  and  'Nothing 
shall  be  impossible  with  Him.' 

It  is  asserted  by  the  objector  that  the  salvation  of  the 
wicked  is  opposed  to  the  demands  of  Justice.  This  is  an 
unscriptural  principle,  for  'God  is  of  one  mind'  and  'God  is 
Love;'  therefore  the  divine  Justice  has  no  claim  that  is  op- 
posite to  the  impulses  of  the  Divine  Love,  or  Mercy,  or 
Goodness,  which  are  infinite,  and  desire  the  salvation  of 
All ;  else  God  would  be  'divided  against  himself,'  and  'a 
kingdom  that  is  divided  against  itself  cannot  stand.'  But 
the  attributes  of  Deity  are  all  alike  centred  in  the  fulfil- 
ment of  His  great  Purpose  of  the  ultimate  Ingathering  of 
All  Things  tlirough  Christ.  Such  a  passage  as  this,  (and 
the  Bible  abounds  with  strong  parallels,  as  will  be  exhibited 
hereafter,)  'The  Judgments  of  the  Lord  are  true  and  righ- 
teoiis  altogether.     More  to  be  desired  are  they  than  gold, 


REASONS    FOR    OTTR    HOPE.  53 

yea,  than  much  fine  gold  ;  sweeter  also  than  honey  or  the 
honey-comb,^  Ps.  xix.  10,  ought  to  instruct  those  who  believe 
tho  Divine  Justice  to  be  so  terrible  an  attribute,  such  a  foe  to 
goodness,  so  merciless  a  tyrant  over  the  infinite  Mercy  and 
Love,  into  a  very  different  belief.  In  the  45ih  of  Isaiah 
the  Prophet  calls  Hiin  'A  Just  God  and  a  Saviour ^^  and 
goes  immediately  on  to  declare  the  immutable  and  sublime 
Oath  of  Jehovah,  that  He  would  bring  'Every  Knee  to  bow, 
and  Every  Tongue  to  confess,  that  in  Him  they  have  righ- 
teousness and  strength  ;'  which  is  a  very  conclusive  proof 
that  salvation  is  not  inconsistent  with  the  Justice  of  God, 
nay,  not  even  the  universal  subjection  of  mankind. 

It  is  a  foolish  thought  which  some  people  entertain,  as 
that  contained  in  this  objection,  that  the  evil  shall  have  to  be 
compelled  to  relinquish  their  doom  of  eternal  misery,  in  ex- 
change for  holiness  and  blessedness  in  order  that  they  may 
be  saved.  Such  an  idea  is  opposed  to  all  common  sense. 
It  supposes  that  the  spirits  of  millions  of  men,  who  are  all 
perfectly  free  and  without  restraint  deliberately  to  choose 
their  immortal  destiny,  shall  prefer  to  take  their  everlasting 
abode  in  the  dreadful  regions  of  suffering,  remorse,  despair 
and  ruin,  and  in  the  society  of  incarnate  fiends,  rather  than 
turn  to  the  other  hand  and  receive  of  the  Spirit  a  draught 
of  the  water  of  everlasting  life,  and  be  admitted  into  the 
mansions  of  endless  purity  and  bliss.  But  in  the  first  place 
no  such  deliberate  choice  has  ever  been  given  to  any  soul 
of  man,  and  in  the  next,  there  is  not  a  rational  being  in  the 
universe  that  would  choose  such  a  destiny,  aye,  but  would 
infinitely  prefer  annihilation  to  a  lot  so  terrible,  how  much 
less  if  all  the  glories  of  the  heavens  were  added  to  influence 
his  choice  for  good.  Depend  upon  it,  if  there  is  such  a 
world  of  exquisite  and  tremendous  woes  as  that  which  the 
Kingdom  of  Beelzebub  is  described  to  be,  there  is  no  latent 
energy  in  all  the  capacities  of  the  soul  which  would  not  be 
strained  to  the  very  verge  of  self-destruction  before  it  would 
consent  to  be  plunged  into  so  cruel  a  condition.  So  if  the 
human  volition  is  not  to  he  forced  at  all,  into  hell  more  than 
into  heaven,  there  is  certainly  no  argument  here,  at  least, 
for  the  sentiment  of  endless  perdition. 

3 


54  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

Now  we  liave  come  to  l.h:it  part  of  the  objection  which 
relates  to  Free  Agency,  wliich  wo  shall  answer  briefly  but 
scriplurally.  First,  then,  we  would  tubstantiate  this  propo- 
sition, namely,  That  neither  the  sins  of  men  in  particular, 
nor  all  evil,  in  the  aggregate,  can  frustrate  the  Divine  Pur- 
pose for  the  salvation  of  All  Men,  because  they  themselves 
are  ordained,  and  constitute  a  "part  o/'that  Eternal  Purpose 
itself,  and  are  so  ordered  as  to  contribute  to,  and  hasten  its 
fulfilment.  This  principle,  which  if  just,  entirely  removes  the 
consequences  which  the  idea  of  Free  Agency  is  supposed  to 
generate,  will  only  be  supported  here,  but  we  think  suffi- 
ciently well,  by  one  or  two  passages,  though  it  will  be  more 
amply  brought  out  hereafter: 

'The  Law  entered  that  Sin  might  abound  ;  but  where  Sin 
abounded,  GRACE  did  [even]  MUCH  MORE  abound.'— 
Rom,  V.  20.  'Wherefore  then  serveth  the  Law?  It  was 
added  because  of  transgressions,  till  the  seed  should  come  to 
whom  TirE  Promise  was  made ;  [he  who  should  britise  the 
Serpe7i/'s head,  'destroy  the  Devil,  and  all  his  works,']  It 
was  Ordai7ied  ihronf^h  angels,  in  the  hand  of  a  Mediator.' — 
Gal.  iii.  19.  'The  Law  is  our  schoolmaster,  to  bring  us  to 
Christ.'— Gal.  v.  24. 

'The  Creation  WAS  MADE  subject  to  vanity,  [but]  not  will- 
lingly  ;  [not  wilfully  ;  not  that  it  should  rest  or  be  perpetu- 
ated in  evil,  as  an  end  ;  |  but  by  reason  of  Him  who  [so  ]  sub- 
jected it,  in  Hope  [of  a  glorious  consummation,  namely,] 
That  the  Ckeation  itself  also  shall  he  Delivered  from  the 
Bondage  of  Corruption,  into  the  srlorious  liberty  of  the  chil- 
dren of  God.'— Rom.  viii.  20,  2L^ 

The  Sins  of  men  and  the  powers  of  Satan  are  all  ordain- 
ed and  overruled  by  the  hand  of  Providence  for  the  very 
development  of  Ills  wise  and  merciful  Purposes. — Proofs: 
the  cases  of  Joseph,  Job,  and  Judas  ;  Judges  ix.  23  ;  Is.  xlv. 
7;  Ps.  Ixvi.  10;  Mat.  iv.  10. 

But  the  following  passages,  while  they  in  some  measure 
go  to  establish  the  same  point,  push  also  directly  at  the 
principle  of  Free  Agency,  and  not  merely  at  its  deductions  : 

'I  know,  O  God,  that  the  way  of  man  is  not  in  himself;    it 


REASONS    FOE    OUR    HOPE.  55 

is  NOT  in  man,    that  walketh,  to  Direct  his  steps.' — Jer.  x. 
23. 

^ Man's  goings  are  of  the  Lord  ;  how  can  a  man  then  un- 
derstand his  own  way  ?' — Pro  v.  xx.  24. 

'God,  in  whose  hand  is  our  breath,  ayid  whose  are  all  our 
ways.'' — Dan.  v.  23. 

'Behold,  All  Souls  are  Mine,  saith  the  Lord, — Ezek.  xviii. 
4  ;  'In  whose  hand  is  the  soul  of  every  living  being,  and  the 
breath  of  all  mankind.' — Jobxii.  10. 

From  tliese  facts  we  come  to  the  same  conclusion  that  one 
of  the  Prophets  derived  from  this  very  idea.  'Lord,  Thou 
WILT  ORDAIN  Peace  for  us,  because  Thou  hast  also 
lorought  all  our  works  in  us.' — Is.  xxvi.  12.  Is  not  the  doc- 
trine of  the  following  passage  from  Bailey's  'Festus,'  identi- 
cal with  this  ? 

"  To  act  is  ours;  surely,  whate'er  we  do, 

Whether  it  be  for  our  own  good  or  ill, 

Or  others'  ill  or  good,  it  is  at  last 

To  manifest  God's  glory, — it  is  ordered. 

The  soul  is  but  an  organ,  and  it  hath 

No  povv'r  of  good  or  evil  in  itself. 

More  than  tlie  eye  hath  pow'r  of  light  or  dark. 

God  fitted  it  for  good  ;  and  evil  is 

Good  in  some  other  way    we  are  not  skill'd  in. 

The  good  we  do  is  of  His  own  good  will, — 

The  ill,  of  His  own  letting." 


PROPOSITION  THIRD. 

It  is  the  Irrefragible  WILL  of  Deity  that  All  His  Intel- 
ligent Creation  shall  be  Redeemed  from  Evil  and  be 
Glorified  in  Holiness. 

PROOFS.— POSITIVE. 

'This  is  the  Father's  WILL,  which  hath  sent  me,'  said 
Jesus,  'That  of  ALL,  which  He  hath  given  me,  [see  also 
John  iii.  35,  and  23  parallels,  under  Prop.  XI.]  I  should 
LOSE  NOTHING,  but  should  raise  it  up  again,  at  the 
Last  Day.' — John  vi.  39.  And  'how  are  the  dead  raised 
up?  and  with  what  body  do  they  come?'  Answer,  'It  is 
sown  in  corruption,  it  is  raised  in  incorruption  ;  it  is  sown 


66  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

in  disho7iour,  is  raised  m  glory  ;  it  is  sown  in  wealmess,  it 
is  raised  m  power  :  it  is  sown  a  natural  body,  it  is  raised 
A  SPIRITUAL  BODY  ;'  in  Hhe  innage  of  the  heavenly  ;'  'equal 
unto  the  Angels  in  Heaven  ;''  'like  uvto  Christ's  glorioi/s 
Body.' — 1  Cor.  xv  ;  Luke  xx  ;    Phil.  iii. 

'Jesus  Christ  gave  himself  [in  order  to  appease  the  wrath 
and  palliate  ihe  curse  of  God,  and  deliver  us  from  justly 
incurred  punishment  .?]  for  our  Sins,  that  he  might  Deliv- 
er us  from  [a  Future  WorM  of  Endless  Sin  and  Suffering  ?] 
THIS  PRKSENT  EviL  WoRLD, — Accordiug  to  THE  WILL 
OF  GOD.'---Gal.  i.  4. 

'God,  our  Saviour,  WILL  have  All  Men  to  he  saved, 
and  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.' — 1  Tim.  ii.  4. 
In  illustration  of  this  passage,  no  Universalist  writer  even.has 
ever  said  anything  stronger  or  more  lucid,  in  the  same 
compass,  to  develope  the  strength  of  its  testimony  for  the 
doctrine  of  Universal  Salvation,  than  the  learned  and  cele- 
brated Dr.  Gill,  Calvinist.  We  cannot  forbear  to  quote  the 
remarks  of  his  on  this  subject  to  which  we  allude  :  'The 
salvation  which  God  wills  that  All  Men  should  enjoy,'  he 
says,  'is  not  a  mere  possibility  of  salvation,  or  a  mere  put- 
ting them  into  a  suitable  state  ;  or  a  proposal  of  sufficient 
means  of  it  to  All  in  His  word  ;  but  a  real,  certain,  and 
actual  salvation,  lohich  He  has  determined  they  shall 
HAVE  ;  and  is  sure,  from  His  own  appointment,  from  the 
provision  of  Christ  as  a  Saviour  for  them,  from  the  covenant 
of  grace  in  which  everything  is  secured  necessary  for  it, 
and  from  the  mission  of  Christ  to  effect  it,  and  from  its  be- 
ing effected  by  him  ;  wherefore  the  Will  of  God  that  All 
Men  should  be  saved,  is  not  a  Conditional  Will,  ox  what 
depends  upon  the  will  of  man,  or  anything  to  he  performed 
by  him,  for  then  none  might  be  saved  ;  and  if  any  should, 
it  would  be  'of  him  that  willeth,'  contrary  to  the  express 
words  of  Scripture  ;  but  is  an  absolute  and  unconditional 
will  respecting  their  salvation,  and  which  infallibly  secures 
it.' — Annot.  in  loco. 

'The  Mystery  of  HIS  WILL,  That  in  the  Dispensation 
of  the  Fulness  of  Times,  He  might  Gather  together  IN 
ONE,  ALL  THINGS,  both  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  even 


i'  REASONS    FOR   OUR   HOPE.  57 

in  Christ.^ — Eph.  i.  9,  10.  'And  if  any  man  be  in  Christ, 
he  is  a  Neio  Creature.'  This  is  in  harmony  with  the  A- 
postle's  teaching  in  the  xvth  of  First  Corinthians,  that  at 
the  great  universal  New  Birth  and  Re-Creation  of  the  Res- 
urrection, 'All  shall  be  made  alive  in  Christ,'  Death,  which 
is  the  antithesis  of  the  life  into  which  we  shall  be  re-made 
in  Christ  shall  be  'svv^allowed  up  in  victory,'  and  Sin,  the 
sting,  the  effect  of  the  great  moral  death,  which  shall  be 
at  last  'destroyed,'  shall  also  be  lost  forever ! 

'This  is  the  WlLh  of  God,  even,  yoursanctification.'— 

1  Thess.  iv.  3.  This  might  be  esteemed  a  passage  of  but 
little  force  in  establishing  the  present  proposition,  were  it  not 
for  the  more  formidable  aspect  with  which  it  is  invested 
when  viewed  in  connection  with  the  numerous  array  of  pas- 
sages in  the  next  section  which  prove  the  irresistible  ener- 
gy of  the  Divine  Will. 

The  same  is  also  the  Will  of  Jesus,  expressed  in  the  fol- 
lowing words  at  the  conclusion  of  his  beautiful  prayer  in 
the  xviith  of  John  :  'Father,  I  WILL  that  they  also  whom 
Thou  hast  given  me,  [viz.  All  Flesh,  verse  2,]  be  with  me 
where  I  am,  [in  the  immediate  heavenly  presence  of  the 
Lord  ;]  that  they  may  behold  my  glory  which  Thou  hast 
given  me ;  for  Thou  lovedst  me  from  before  the  foundation 
of  the  world,  0  righteous  Father,  The  World  hath  7Lot  [yetl 
known  Thee;  but  /have  known  Thee,  and  these  [also,  the 
disciples,]  that  Thou  hast  sent  me,  have  known.  And  I 
have  declared  unto  them  Thy  name,  and  will  [continue  to] 
declare  it,  [until  the  world  shall  all  know  the  Lord,]  that 
the  love  wherewith  Thou  hast  loved  me,  may  be  in  them, 
and  I  [also]  in  them.'' 

'Glory  to  God  in  the  Highest .''  sang  the  celestial  mes- 
sengers who  announced  to  the  shepherds  the  'Glad  Tidings 
of  Great  Joy  which  shall  be  unto  All  People  ;'  'and  on 
Earth  Peace,   GOOD  WILL  toward  Men.'— Luke  ii.  14. 

NEGATIVE. 

'The  Lord  is  NOT  WILLING  that  ANY  should  perish, 
but  [His  Will  w]  That  All  should  come   to   repentance.'— 

2  Pet.  iii.  9.      Of   course  it   is  not  to  be  imagined  by  any 


58  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

who  believe  in  the  Omnipotence  of  God's  Will,  that  present 
but  temporary  sinfulness  is  against  the  abioltitc  Will  of  the 
Lord,  so  that  this  passage  docs  not  teach  His  actual  plea- 
sure, but  ineffectual,  that  all  evil  should  be  immediately 
abolished,  as  the  belief  of  some  is. 

'It  is  NOT  THE  WILL  of  Your  Father  which  is  in 
Heaven  that  ONE  of  these  little  ones  should  Perish.' — Mat. 
xviii.  14. 

*I  WILL  NOT  contend  forever,  NEITHER  WILL  I 
be  always  wroth.'— Is.  Ivii.  16. 

'The  Lord  WILL  NOT  cast  off  forever. --Lam.  iii.  31. 

"O  fhou  wlio  art  prayinji  that    Mercy  may  win 
All  Nations  and  Kindieds  from  error  and  ein, — 
Attend  thou  in  silence  and  porjder  thy  plea, 
Tlie  voice  of  tlie  Spirit  is  whispering  to  thee. 

Our  Father  and   Saviour  is  better  than  tiiou  ; 
Believe  in   His  wisdom  and  gratefully  bow. 
Rejoice  in  the  griice  of  tlie  heavenly  Dove, 
For  the  words  of  the  Spirit  are  breathings  of  Love. 

The  reign  of  transgreE.«ion  and  darkness  shall  cease, 
For  Mercy  will  prosper  the  Kingdom  of  Peace; 
And  wheiithon  art  praying  that  thus  it  may  be, 
Tlie  voice  of  the  Spirit  is  whispering  to  thee." 

Rev.  A.  C.  Thomacj. 


COMPLETION    OF    THE    ARGDMENT. 

Shall  the  Will  of  God,   or  the   Sins  of  Ma7i,  be  Triumph- 
ant? 

'Behold,  the  Nations  are  as  a  drop  of  a  bucket,  and  are 
counted  as  the  small  dust  of  a  balance.  Behold,  He  taketh 
up  the  isles  as  a  very  little  thing.  --  All  Nations  before  Him 
are  as  nothing  ;  and  they  are  counted  to  Him  less  than 
nothing,  and  vanity!  -  -  It  is  He  that  sitteth  upon  the  circle 
of  the  Earth,  and  the  inhabitants  thereof  are  as  grasshop- 
pers. -  -  [What  a  sublime  apostrophe  is  this,  of  the  weakness 
and  pusillanimity  of  man  in  comparison  with  the  Majesty 
and  Greatness  of  the  Omnipotent !]  -  -  The  Everlasting  God, 
the  Lord,  the  Creator  of  the  Ends  of  the  Earth,  fainteth  not, 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  59 

neither  is  weary  !  There  is  no  searching  of  His  unrler- 
standing.  But  He  givcth  Power,  to  the  faint,  and  to  them 
that  have  no  might,  He  increaseth  strength.'— Is.  xl.  15--2S. 

'AH  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Earth  are  reputed  ns  nothing; 
and  HE  DOETH  ACCORDING  TO  HIS  WILL  in  the 
Armies  of  Heaven  and  among  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Earth, 
and  none  can  stay  His  hand,  or  say  unto  Him,  What  doest 
Thou  ?' — Dan.  iv.  35. 

'iie  worketh  All  Things  after  the  Counsel  of  His  Oivn 
WiLL.'-Eph.  i.  n. 

'Who  hath  resisted  His  Will?  -  -  Shall  the  thing  formed 
say  unto  him  that  formed  it,  Why  dost  thou  make  me  thus  V 
— Rom.  ix.  19.  'Behold,  as  the  clay  is  in  the  potter's  hand, 
so  are  Ye  in  My  hand,'  saith  the  Lord. — Jer.  xviii.  6. 

The  direct  object  of  the  Messiah's  mission  was  to  Accoiji- 
plish  the  Will  of  God,  and  'to  finish  His  work.' — John  iv. 
34.  'Lo  !  (in  the  volume  of  the  book  it  is  written  of  me,) 
I  came  to  do  Thy  Will,  0  God.'— Heb.  x.  7;  Ps.  xl.  7.  He 
came  down  from  heaven  not  to  do  his  own  will,  but  the 
Will  of  Him  that  sent  him,  which  was,  that  of  the  whole 
world,  which  was  given  him,  he  should  lose  nothing. — 
John  vi.  3S,  39.  And  shall  Jesus  fail  of  accomplishing  the 
purpose  of  his  mission  ?  No.  For  'All  Power  is  given 
unto  him  in  heaven  and  in  earth,' — Mat.  xxviii.  19  ;  'He 
is  the  Head  of  All  principality  and  Power,' — Col.  ii.  20 ; 
even  'the  Head  of  Every  Man,' — 1  Cor  xi.  3  ;  consequently 
'he  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied.' — 
Is.  liii.  11. 

'The  Son  Quickeneth  aviiom  he  WILL.'— John  v.  21. 

Having  seen  that  the  Redemption  and  Blessedness  of  All 
Men  is  the  Will  of  the  Lord,  the  fulfilment  of  which  He  has 
even  required  us  to  pray  and  to  ofler  thanksgivings  for,  with- 
out doiibiing,  (1  Tim.  ii.  1~S,)  this  assurance  of  John  is 
very  precious  :  'This  is  the  confidence  we  have  in  Him, 
that  if  we  ask  anything  which  is  According  to  His  Will,  He 
heareth  its  ;  and  if  wc  know  that  He  hear  ns,  whatsoever 
we  ask,  we  know  that  we  shall  have  the  petitions  that  we 
desired  of  Him.'— 1  John  v.  14,  15. 


60  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

'Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  -  -  Thy  Will  be  Done  !' 
—Mat.  vi.  10. 

There  is  an  old  anecdote  which  so  well  illustrates  the 
short-sightedness  and  absurdity  of  the  Arminian  notion  of 
the  Will  of  God,  that  we  cannot  desist  from  introducing  it 
in  this  place.  The  application  of  this  anecdote  is  not  origi- 
nal here,  but  is  taken  from  an  article  on  the  subject  of  the 
Divine  Will,  in  a  number  of  the  'Univcrsalist  Watchman,' 
a  good  paper  of  our  order  published  in  Montpelier,  Vt. 

'A  poor,  but  eccentric  man,  supposing  himself  to  be  near 
his  end,  called  in  an  attorney  to  make  his  will ;  and  when 
the  question  was  propounded,  'how  will  you  dispose  of  your 
property  .?'  'Why,'  said  he,  'in  the  first  place,  I  Will  my 
brother  Zachariah,  $1000.'  'A  thousand  dollars  !'  exclaim- 
ed the  attorney,  'why,  my  dear  sir,  you  are  not  worth  a 
thousand  dollars  in  the  world  !'  'No  matter,  no  matter,' 
says  uncle  Zeph,  'it's  biy  Will  Zack  shall  have  a  thousand 
dollars,  and  he  may  go  to  work  and  get  it  if  he  has  a  mind 

to  r 

(If  it  had  been  a  thousand  acres  of  land  which  was  be- 
queathed to  the  unlucky  Zack,  instead  of 'dollars,'  some  one 
might  have  happily  remarked  that  he  probably  had  to  take 
THE  Wihh.for  THE  Deed.)  Uncle  Zeph's  Will  however  is 
not  a  parallel  in  all  respects  to  the  other  immense  Will 
of  which  we  are  arguing,  inasmuch  as,  according  to  the  pop- 
ular view\  God  not  only  compels  the  heirs  of  immortality 
to  work  out  and  earn  the  salvation  which  He  is  said  to  will 
them  to  have,  but  creates  them  totally  depraved,  and  wholly 
prone  to  sin,  abandons  them  in  their  helplessness  to  a  world 
in  which  the  power  of  the  Arch-Enemy  is  let  loose,  places 
even  other  obstacles,  which  are  utterly  insuperable,  in  their 
way,  and  then  ha^iishes  them  to  endless  damnation  because 
they  DO  NOT  get  the  salvation  lohicli  He  Willed  them. 

The  following  splendid  extract  from  Bailey's  great  Poem 
of  'Festus,'  which  is  an  inestimable  treasury  of  sacred  phi- 
losophy, and  of  some  of  the  greatest  thoughts  and  most 
beautiful  imaginings  that  ever  sprung  up  in  the  celestial  soil 
of  poet's  mind,  expresses  a  noble  and  heaven-worthy  idea 
of  the  love,  omnipotence,  and  sovereignty  ol  the  Divine 
WiU: 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  61 

"  The  Will  of  God  is  all  in  all.     He  makes, 

Destroys,  remakes,  for  His  own  pleasure.  All. 

After  inferior  nature  is  subdued, 

All  Evil  is  confiu'd.     The  elements 

Conglobe  themselves  from  chaos,  purified, — 

The  re-begotten  world  is  born  again. 

Moral  corruption  with  the  body  ceaseth, 

Spirits  rise  up,  and   link  arnl  rule  with  heav'n. 

The  soul-state  is  search'd  into;  dormant  Death, 

Evil,  and  all  the  dark  gods  of  the  heart, 

And  the  idolatrous  passions,  overcome 

And  vvorshipless  are  seen  ;  and  then  the  Word 

Heard  and   obey'd,  next  conies  the  Truth  divine 

Redintegrate  ;  then  Evil's  last  and  worst 

Essay,  is  vanquish'd   by  Almighty  Good. 

The  universe  all  expurgate  of  evil. 

And  hell  for  aye  abolish'd, — All  Create, 

Redeem'd, — their  God  all  love,  themselves  ail  bliss." 


Objection. 
Yet  there  seems  to  be  an  innate  conviction  and  consciousness  in 
the  soul  of  every  man  that  he  is  possessed  of  an  independent  pow- 
er of  volition,  a  power  which  is  able  to  resist  successfully,  and 
therefore  eternally,  even  the  strongest  divine  influences  in  his 
behalf;  so  that,  as  sin  is  most  congenial  to  the  natures  of  millions 
of  our  race,  such  must  inevitably  remain  in  sin  and  misery  forever, 
and  so  cannot  be  saved.  Then  it  follows  that  although  the  end- 
less damnation  of  the  wicked  is  against  the  Will  o(  God,  it  could 
not  be  ordered  otherwise,  because  the  divine  Will  is  not  omnipo- 
tent over  the  human  to  work  the  salvation  of  mankind. 

ANSWER. 

The  doctrine  of  this  objection  is  so  manifestly  at  variance 
with  the  Scriptures,  that  it  will  simply  be  necessary  to  cite 
a  few  testimonies  that  will  be  directly  to  the  point,  in  order 
to  refute  it  completely.  Please  to  bear  in  mind  the  chief 
point  of  this  objection.  The  free-will  of  man  is  an  insupera- 
ble barrier  against  the  Almighty's  moulding  the  hearts 
and  guiding  the  wills  of  the  children  of  men  in  conformity 
with  His  own.  Now  mark  the  gospel  rebuke  of  such  a  sen- 
timent : 

'God  Put  in  their  Hearts  to  Fulfil  His  WILL.' — Rev. 
xvii.  17. 

n 


H2  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

'  God  Worketk  hi  Ymi,  both  TO  WILL  and  TO  DO,  of 
His  good  pleasure.' — Phil.   ii.  13. 

'It  [salvation,]  is  NOT  of  him  [Man,]  that  Willeth,  or 
of  liiin  that  runneth,  but  of  God,  that  showeth  mercy.' — Kom. 
ix.  16. 

'OF  HIS  OWN  WILL  begat  He  us  by  the  Word  of 
Truth.'— Jas.  i.  IS. 

'They  were  born  not  of  blood,  not  of  the  Will  of  the  Flesh, 
not  of  the  Will  of  Man,  but  of  [the  Will  of]  God.' — John 
i.  13. 

'/  Will  Direct  all  his  tvays.'' — Is.  xlv.  13. 

'/  Will  Direct  their  ivork  [anddirect  it  also]  in  truth.' — 
Is.  Ixi.  8. 

'Thine  ear  shall  hear  a  word  behind  thee,  saying.  This 
is  the  ivay,  2valk  ye  in  it,  when  ye  turn  to  the  right  hand, 
and  when  ye  turn  to  the  left.' — Is.  xxx.  21. 

'And  there  shall  ye  remember  your  ways,  and  all  your  do- 
ings wherein  ye  have  been  defiled  ;  and  ye  shall  loathe  your- 
selves in  your  ov'n  sight,  for  all  your  evils  that  ye  have  com- 
mitted. And  7/e  shall  knoiv  that  I  am  the  Lord,  when  I 
have  WROUGHT  WITH  YOU,  for  My  name's  sake.'— 
Ezek.  XX.  43,44. 

'I  will  sprinkle  clean  w-ater  upon  You,  and  Ye  shall  be 
clean  ;  from  all  your  filthiness  and  from  all  your  idols,  /[the 
Lord,  observe,  and  not  themselves,]  Will  Cleanse  You.  A 
neiv  heart  also  WILL  I  GIVE  You  :  and  a  new  spirit 
WILL  I  PUT  within  you.  And  /  WILL  TAKE  AWAY 
the  stony  heart  o?it  of  your  flesh,  and  I  WILL  GIVE  YOU 
an  heart  of  flesh.  And  T  WILL  PUT  My  spirit  within 
You,  and  CAUSE  YOU  to  xoalk  in  My  stattites,  and  YE 
SHALL  keep  Mv  judgments  and  DO  them.' — Ezek.  xxxvi. 
25-27. 

Do  not  these  scriptures  strongly  and  abundantly  prove 
that  the  human  heart  is  a  legitimate  sphere  for  the  opera- 
lions  of  divine  power  ?  What  a  forcible  evidence  is  that 
latter  one  especially,  of  the  unbounded  sovereignty  which 
the  Lord  possesses  over  the  wills  and  souls  of  His  depend- 
ent creatures.  There  is  indeed  nothing  more  absurd  in  it- 
•self,  it  seems  to  us,  independent  of  the   Bible  testimony  a- 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  63 

gainst  it,  than  the  idea  of  the  impossibility  of  God's  interfer- 
ing with  the  spontaneous  workings  of  the  minds  of  His  weak 
and  erring  children  ;  that  the  Author  of  being  has  endow- 
ed mankind  with  powers  which  can  of  themselves  work  out 
confusion  to  His  plans,  disappointment  to  His  desires, 
and  eternal  frustration  to  His  Will,  while  at  the  same  time 
He  has  deliberately  manacled  His  own  right  arm,  that  it 
should  not  interpose  to  reverse  the  evils  which  spring  up, 
and  avert  impending  ruin.  Yet  this  is  the  character  of  that 
great  doctrine  of  'Free  Agency'  which  is  gravely  and  confi- 
dently urged  against  the  faith  of  the  salvation  of  all  kindreds. 
But  no  matter.  Let  men,  all  who  may,  let  the  world,  believe 
such  doctrines.  Yet  the  stupendous  panorama  of  existence 
is  still  moving  on  in  a  sublime  and  unvarying  ordei',  to 
its  appointed  end,  and  the  evidencesare  plain  and  suffi- 
cient, that 

"He  feeds  the  sacred  fire 
By  which  the  mighty  process  is  maintain'd, 
Who  sleeps  not  nor  is  vveary  ;    in  whose  sight, 
Slow  circling  ages  are  as  transient  days  ; 
Whose  work  is  without  labor,  whose  Designs, 
JVofiaw  defects,  nor  difficulty  thwarts, 
And  whose  Beneficence  no  change  exhausts." 

It  is  not  true  that  man  is  possessed  ofthe  power  of  willing 
or  choosing  one  thing  as  well  as  another.  Man  is  the  com- 
plete creature  and  unconscious  subject  of  Circumstance,  and 
Circumstance  of  God.  He  is  possessed  of  a  constitution, 
which  has  laws,  and  those  laws,  and  the  laws  of  external 
things  work  out  their  sure  and  undeviating  effects.  Every 
impulse  of  the  soul  and  body  is  as  much  the  production  of 
surrounding  causes,  as  the  phenomena  of  nature.  Not  the 
most  trivial  motion  or  occurrence  that  can  be  imagined,  no 
more  than  the  grandest  revolutions  of  being,  could  have  by 
any  possibility  been  ordered  otherwise  than  they  have  been 
without  destroying  the  universal  harmony  of  things,  with- 
out interfering  Avith  the  very  Purpose  of  the  Divinity,  as 
manifested  in  the  eternal  laws  in  which  all  things  were  fast 
tened  in  the  beginning,  and  through  which  all  things  are 
perpetually  sustained.     Everything  is  thus   not  only  as  it 


64  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

must  be,  but  as  it  should  be,  and  as  God  u-ills.  Man  then 
is  not  a  'free  agent,'  not  a  being  whose  thoughts,  and  doings, 
and  feelings,  and  character,  and  destiny  are  entirely  at  his 
own  command.  What  does  he  know  of,  or  how  can  he  con- 
trol, the  condition  of  his  mind  for  a  day,  or  even  for  an  hour 
or  minute  of  the  future  ?  It  seems  to  us  an  indisputable 
truth,  that  every  thought,  every  motive,  every  deed,  and  ev- 
ery motion  that  is  wrought  in  the  human  constitution,  arises 
from  the  operation  of  the  hidden  laws  of  the  mental  and 
physical  economy  which  are  unbending  and  inavertible 
Thus  the  infinite  variety  of  character  and  condition  in  men, 
which  the  world  exhibits.  And  it  is  a  wise  provision  that 
things  are  so.  All  men  could  not  be  made  alike,  unless 
they  were  born  and  reared  under  identical  circumstances, 
which  were  both  utterly  impossible  and  impracticable.  But 
the  Creator  so  moulds  the  character  and  the  very  actions 
of  every  individual  through  thd  instrumentality  of  exterior 
conditions  and  influences,  that  all  men  have  their  appointed 
personal  sphere  to  fill,  and  so  the  world  is  full,  and  there  are 
no  two  souls  alike.  If  man  is  really  the  author  and  archi- 
tect of  his  own  character,  when  does  t^at  self-creation  be- 
gin?    It  cannot  be  defined,  for  the  premise  is  not  true. 

I  repeat,  we  have  not  the  power  within  us  of  creating 
our  own  choice.  Are  we  ourselves  the  author  of  our  fixed 
and  unwavering  preference  of  pleasure  to  pain,  of  happiness 
to  misery  ?  May  we  choose  if  we  will  to  love  the  paupers 
or  vagabonds  of  the  streets  as  well  as  our  parents,  family, 
and  friends  ?  Can  we  please  to  relish  one  kind  of  food  to 
eat  as  well  as  another?  or  the  fodder  of  cattle  if  we  choose 
as  well  as  the  provisions  which  are  usually  considered  appro- 
priate to  man  ?  Accidents,  and  illness,  and  death,  we  need 
not  be  troubled  about  them,  for  we  have  only  to  command 
our  potent  wills,  and  they  cannot  harm  us  !  How  foolish 
are  men  for  going  to  hell,  when  they  have  the  ample  power 
to  prevent  it,  and  may  just  as  well  go  to  heaven,  if  they  will 
only  please  to  turn  about  and  travel  the  other  way ! 

Now  the  fact  is,  we  are  7iot  so  the  sovereigns  of  our  own 
wills  and  choice.  God  makes  every  individual  being  for  a 
certain    destiny,  and  surrounds  him    with   circumstances 


REASONS    FOK    OUR    HOPE.  65 

which  contribute  to  afford  him  those  experiences  which  will 
be  to  his  everlasting  benefit  ;  and  in  order  that  His  purpose 
shall  be  exactly  fulfilled,  is  it  most  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  He  abandons  that  frail  man  to  himself  and  to  Chance, 
so  that  His  will  may,  or  shall  almost  inevitably,  be  defeated  ; 
or  that  He,  on  the  contrary,  carefully  attends  to  the  means, 
'directs  all  his  ways,'  fixes  his  instincts,  guides  and  controls 
his  impulses  and  actions,  propels  the  workings  of  his  mind, 
and  superintends  the  effects  of  every  outward  influence,  so 
that  the  complicated  tissue  of  causes  shall  all  conspire  to  has- 
ten the  accomplishment  of  His  pleasure  ? 

"We  will,  and  act,  and  talk  of  liberty. 

And  all  our  wills,  and  al!  our  doings,  both. 

Are  limited  within  this  little  life. 

Free-will  is  but  Necessity  in  play, — 

The  chattering  of  the  golden  reins  which  guides 

The  Purposes  of  Heaven  to  their  goal." 


PROPOSITION  FOURTH. 

The  Lord  has  Repeatedly  PROMISED,  tJie  Lltimate  Salva- 
tion  of  All  Men. 


\st.    To  Himself. 

'And  the  Lord  said,  Shall  I  hide  from  Abraham  that  thing 
which  I  will  do  ?  Abraham  shall  surely  become  a  Great 
and  ]\Iighty  Nation,  and  All  the  Nations  of  the  Earth  shall 
be  Blessed  in  him.' — Gen.  xxii.  17,  18. 

2d.    To  the  First  Parents. 

'I  will  put  e7i7nit7j  between  thee,  [the  Serpent, — Sin,  per- 
sonified, the  evil  principle,  the  carnal  'law  of  the  members' 
that  lurks  in  the  body  as  a  Tempter, — see  Jas.  i.  14.]  and 
the  Woman,  [by  appointing  sorrow,  suffering  and  moral 
death  the  inevitable  and  speedy  effect  of  disobedience,]  and 
between  thy  seed,  [Suffering,  Error,  and  Death,]  and  her 
seed,  [Christ.]  IT  [the  Redeemer,]  SHALL  BRUISE 
THY  HEAD,  [this  is  the  ancient  Promise  of  the  ultimate 


W)  REASONS    FOR    OUR  HOPE. 

total  Destruction  of  Evil,]  and  thou  shalt  [only]  bruise 
his  HEEL,'  [a  curable  injury  of  the  most  inferior  nature,  show- 
ing that  the  damage  of  Sin  is  entirely  remediable. — Gen. 
iii.  15.  In  this  passage,  there  is  an  important  point  to  be 
noticed,  besides  the  glorious  Promise  it  comprises  of  the  sal- 
vation of  all.  It  lies  in  that  first  clause  in  which  the  Lord 
declared  that  He  would  put  enmity  betweeiithe  Serpent  and 
the  Woman.  Now  the  Woman  here  is  to  be  understood 
the  representative  of  the  whole  race  of  man  ;  and  then  we 
shall  understand  from  those  words,  that  God  should  affix  a 
perpetual  and  irreconcilable  enmity  between  mankind  and 
the  principle  of  evil.  Universalists  are  peculiar  in  fully  be- 
lieving that  the  execution  of  this  sentence  has  been  complete- 
ly fulfilled,  that  there  does  actually  exist,  that  there  ever  has 
existed,  in  the  hearts  of  all  men,  not  only  a  natural,  instinc- 
tive hatred  of  sin,  and  of  whatever  is  corrupt  and  abominable, 
but  that  there  is  also  in  the  constitution  of  every  man,  an 
innate  admiration,  love,  and  reverence  for  those  things  that 
are  good,  and  beautiful  and  excellent.  And  this  principle 
still  holds  good,  if  we  admit  that  many  nations  and  millions 
of  men  have  not  been  possessed  of  correct  ideas  of  what  is 
good  and  what  is  evil ;  for  confessedly,  there  does  exist  cer- 
tain conceptions  of  right  and  wrong,  of  good  and  evil,  in  the 
minds  of  the  most  uncultivated  of  our  species.  So,  we  can- 
not think  that  such  a  thing  has  ever  existed  in  the  human 
bosom  as  a  love  of  sin,  for  itself  alone.  But  we  would  rath- 
er contend,  in  the  light  of  all  the  world's  experience,  and  the 
soundest  deductions  of  moral  philosophy,  that  the  most  de- 
praved of  men  loathe  their  own  iniquities,  and  are  led  into 
them,  not  for  a  love  of  the  evil,  but  through  the  vain  expec- 
tation of  arriving  at  some  imagined  good  which  is  hoped  to 
be  attained  thereby.  Thus,  the  very  participation  of  evil 
is  itself  an  evidence  in  one  way  of  the  universal  aspiration 
of  mankind  to  higher  good.  But  as  the  way  of  transgi'es- 
sion  must  eternally  be  found  at  enmity  with  the  true  interest 
of  the  soul  as  well  as  with  its  unperverted  impulses  and 
deepest  yearnings,  there  is  no  danger  but  that,  with  the  po- 
tent co-operation  of  the  Spirit  of  Grace,  all  souls  will  soon- 
er or  later  come  to  realize  that  'it  is  an  evil  thing  and  a  bitter. 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  67 

to  forsake  theLord  their  God, 'so  that  they 'shall  loathe  them- 
selves in  their  own  sight,'  'their  own  wickedness  shall  cor- 
rect them,'  and  they  shall  seek  the  pleasant  ways  and  peace- 
ful pathsof  wisdom. 

3d.    To  Abraham. 
'And  the  Lord  said  unto  Abram,  -  -  In  thee  shall  All  the 
Families  of  the  Earth  be  Blessed.'' — Gen.  xii.  3. 

Ath.    To  Isaac. 
'And   the  Lord  appeared  unto  Isaac  and  said,  -  -   In  thy 
Seed  shall   All  Nations  of  the  Earth  be  Blessed.'' — Gen. 
xxvi.4. 

5th.  To  Jacob. 
,  'And  behold  a  Ladder  [see  John  i.  51,]  set  up  on  the 
Earth,  and  the  top  of  it  reached  to  heaven  ;  and  behold, 
the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending  upon  it. 
And  behold,  the  Lord  stood  above  it,  and  said,  I  am  the 
Lord  God  of  Abraham,  thy  father,  and  the  God  of  Isaac ; 
the  land  whereon  thou  liest,  to  thee  will  1  Give  it,  and 
to  thy  seed.  And  thy  seed  shall  be  as  the  dust  of  the 
earth  ;  and  thou  shalt  spread  abroad  to  the  west,  and.  to 
the  east,  and  to  the  north,  and  to  the  south,  and  in  thy 
seed  shall  All  the  Families  of  the  Earth  be  Blessed.' 
— Gen.  xxviii.  12—14.  This  vision  of  Jacob  concerning 
the  'land  of  promise,'  and  indeed  all  that  is  recorded  res- 
pecting that  beautiful  country,  is  considered'  typical  of  the 
inheritance  and  beatitude  of  the  great  Promised  Canaan 
of  the  spiritual  world,  which  through  the  seed  of  this  Pa- 
triarch, should  be  bestowed  [mark,  'I  will  Give  it,'  not 
offer,]  upon  '■All  the  Families  of  the  Earth.'  If  there 
was  ever  a  human  being  who  did  not  belong  to  amj  fam- 
ily of  the  earth,  then  we  would  grant  that  his  immortal 
blessedness  is  not  Promised  Ae?'e,  at  least.  But,  I  tell  vou, 
dear  reader,  it  takes  nothing  short  of  a  Universalist  to 
believe  such  testimonies  as  this.  To  all  others,  they  are 
a  mere  'dead  letter.' 

^th.    To  Moses. 
'And  the  Lord  said,  I  have  pardoned  according  to  thy 


68  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

word  ;  but  (is  truly  as  I  lire.  All  thi:  [People  of  the]  Earth 
shall  be  Filled  with  the  Glory  of  the  Lord.'' — Nuinb.  xiv.  21. 
7th.  To  David. 
'I  have  made  a  Covenant  with  My  chosen,  I  have  Sworn 
unto  David,  My  servant,  Thy  Seed  will  I  establish  forever, 
and  build  up  thy  throne  for  All  Generations.' — Ps.  Ixxxix. 
3,  4.  'He  hath  made  with  me  an  Everlasting  Covenant, 
Ordered  for  All  Things,  and  sure;  for  this  All  is  my 
Salvation,  and    All  my  Desire.' — 2  Sam.  xxiii.  5. 

ith.    To  Solomon. 

'Because  thou  hast  asked  for  thyself  Understanding,  to  dis- 
cern judgment,  heboid,  1  have  done  according  to  thy  Mords. 
Lo,  I  have  given  thee  a  Wise  and  an  Understanding  heart, 
so  that  there  was  none  like  thee  before  thee,  neither  after 
thee,'  &c.  1  Kings,  iii.  And  this  is  a  part  of  the  Wisdom 
of  Solomon  which  the  Lord  gave  him  :  'Man  goeth  to  his 
Long  Home  ;  -  -  Then  shall  the  Dust  retjtrn  to  the  Earth  as 
it  loas,  but  THE  Spirit  shall  Return  unto  GOD,  who 
GAVE  IT.' — Ec.  xii.  7. 

9th.     To  Isaiah. 

'Therefore  My  people  shall  Know  My  name  ;  therefore 
shall  they  Know  in  that  Day  that  I  am  He  that  doth  speak. 
Behold,  it  is  I !  How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are  the 
feet  of  him  that  bringeth  Good  Tidings  of  Good,  that  P^lb- 
lishdh  Salvation,  that  saith  unto  Zion,  Thy  God  Reign- 
ETH !  Thy  watchmen  shall  lift  up  the  voice, — wnth  the 
voice  together  shall  they  sing;  for  they  shall  see  eye  to  eye 
when  the  Lord  shall  bring  again  Zion.  Break  forth  into 
Joy  !  Sing  together  ye  waste  places  of  Jerusale7n  !  The 
Lord  hath  made  bare  His  holy  arm  in  the  eyes  of  All  the  Na- 
tions, and  All  the  Ends  of  the  Eakth  shall  sec  the  Sal- 
vation of  our  God  .'' — Is.  Iii.  6-10. 

lO/A.     To  Jeremiah. 

'Behold,  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  I  will  make 
a  Neiv  Covenant  with  the  house  of  Israel,  and  with  the 
house  of  Judah.  -  -  And  this  shall  be  the  Covenant  that  I 
will  make  with  the  house  of  Israel :  After  those  days,  saith 
the  Lord,    J  icill  Put  My  laio  in  their  inward  parts,  and 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  69 

Wi'ite  it  in  their  Hearts,  and  will  be  their  God,  and  they 
shall  be  My  People.  And  they  shall  teach  no  more  every 
man  his  neighbor  and  every  man  his  brother,  saying";  Knovv' 
the  Lord,  for  they  shall  ALL  know  Me,  from  the  least 
of  them  unto  the  Greatest  of  them,  saith  the  Lord  ;  for  I 
\\\\\  Forgive  [take  aw^4y]  their  iniquity,  and  I  Avill  remem- 
ber their  sin  no  more.' — Jer.  xxxi.  31—34. 
Uth.  ToEzeldel. 
'I  will  make  them  One  Nation  ;  -  -  One  King  shall  be 
King  to  them  All  ;  -  -  I  will  save  them  out  of  all  their 
dwelling-places  wherein  they  have  sinned,  and  will  Cleanse 
them  ;  so  shall  they  be  My  People,  and  I  will  be  their  God. 
And  David,  My  servant  shall  be  King  over  them,  and  they 
All  shall  have  One  Shepherd  ;  [see  John,  x.  16  ;  Eph.  i. 
10  ;]  they  shall  also  walk  in  My  judgments,  and  observe 
Mj''  statutes  and  do  them.  -  -  Moreover,  I  wdll  make  a  Cov- 
enant of  Peace  with  them  ;  it  shall  be  an  Everlasting  Cov- 
enant with  them  ;  -  -  And  the  Heathen  shall  Know  that  I 
the  Lord  do  sanctify  Israel,  when  My  sanctuary  shall  be  in 
the  midst  of  them  for  ever  more.' — Ezek.  xxxvii.  22— 2S.  'I 
will  set  My  Glory  among  the  Heathen,  and  All  the  Hea- 
then shall  see  My  judgment  that  I  have  executed,  and  My 
hand  that  I  have  laid  upon  them.' — xxxix.  21. 

12//i.    To  the  So7i. 
'I  will  Give  thee  the  Heathen   for  thine  Inheritance,   and 
the  Uttermost  Parts  of  the  Earth  for  thy  Possession.' — Ps. 
ii.  S. 

\2th.    Through  Christ,  the  Angels,  the  Prophets,  and 
the  Apostles, — To  the  World. 

I.  'If  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  I  will  Draw  All  Men 
unto  Me.'— John.  xii.  32. 

II.  'Fear  not;  for  Behold,  we  bring  you  Good  Tidings  of 
Great  Joy,  which  shall  be  unto  ALL  PEOPLE.' — Luke 
ii.  14. 

III.  'AH  thy  children  shall  be  taught  of  the  Lord,  and 
great  shall  be  the  Peace  of  thy  children.' — Isaiah.  'I 
will  Cleanse  their  blood  that  I  have  i^ or  Cleansed.' — Joel. 
'I   Avill    turn  to  the  people  a  pure  language  that  they  may 

4 


70  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPK. 

All  call  upon  the  name    of  the  Lord  to  serve    Him    with 
one  consent.' — ZicrHANiAH. 

IV.  As  2ve  have  home  the  image  of  the  Earthy,  we  shall 
ALSO  bear  the  image  of  the  Heavenly.'' — Paul,  'God  hath 
spoken  of  the  limes  of  the  Restitution  of  All  Things,  by  the 
mouth  of  all  His  holy  Prophets  since  the  world  began.' — 
Pkti:r.  'Of  His  own  Will  begat  He  us  by  the  word  of 
truth,  that  we  should  be  a  kind  of  First-Fruits  of  His 
Creatures.' — James.  [And,  'if  the  First-Fruits  be  holy, 
THE  Lump  is  also  holy.' — Rom.  xi.  16.] 

"Sing  of  His  wondrous   faithfulness, 

VVhich  all  our  race  shall  prove. 
Sing  of  THE  Pkomisk    of    His  Grace, 

And    Universal  Love. 
Proclaim    Salvation    from    the    Lord 

For  All  the  sons  of  Men; 
His  hand  hath   trac'd   it    in   His  word. 

With  an  immortal  pen. 
Engraved    as     in    eternal    hrass, 

The  joyful  Promise  shines, 
Nor  can  the  powers  of  darkness  rase 

Those  Everlastin"    lines." 


COMPLETION    OF    THE    ARGUMENT. 

Will   this  Glorious   Projiise  of  the  Divine  Parent  fail   of 
being  FulfiUed? 

'Thus  saith  the  Lord,  I tvill  Perform  that  Good  Thing 
tohich  I  have  Proinised  unto  the  house  of  Israel,  and  to  the 
house  of  Judah.' — Jer.  xxxiii.   14. 

'■I  will  7iot  leave  thee,  [saith  the  Lord  to  Jacob,]  'until  I 
have  Done  that  which  I  have  spoken  to  thee  of.' — Gen. 
xxviii.  15. 

'My  Covenant  will  I  7iot  break,  nor  alter  the  thing  that 
is  gone  out  of  My  lips.'— Ps.  Ixxxix.  34.  'I  will  hasten  My 
word  to  Perform  it.' — Jer.  i.  12. 

'Thus  saith  the  Lord,  If  My  covenant  be  not  with  the  day 
and  night,  and  if  I  have  not  appointed  the  ordinances  of 
heaven  and  earth  :    Then  will  I  cast  away  the  seed  of  Ja- 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  71 

cob,  and  David,  My  servant :  -  -  But  I  WILL  fulfil  My 
Covenant  with  them,  and  have  mercy  on  them,  saith  the 
Lord.'— Jer.  xxxiii.  25. 

.  'He  hath  remembered  His  Covenant  forever,  the  word 
that  He  commanded  unto  a  thousand  Generations  ;  which 
Covenant  He  made  with  Abraham,  and  confirmed  with  an 
Oath  unto  Isaac,  aud  unto  Jacob,  for  a  law,  and  unto  Israel 
for  an  everlasting  Covenant,  saying,  Unto  thee  will  I  give 
the  land  of  Canaan,  [this  was  a  figure  of  the  heavenly,]  the 
lot  of  your  Inheritance.'— Ps.  cv.  S— IL 

'He  will  ever  be  mindful  of  His  Covenant  ;  He  hath 
showed  His  People  the  power  of  His  works,  that  He  should 
give  them  the  Heritage  of  the  Heathen  ;  -  -  He  sent  Re- 
demption unto  His  People  ;  He  hath  commanded  His  Cov- 
enant forever  !' — Ps.  cxi.  5,  6,  9. 

'I  the  Lord  have  spoken  it,  it  shall  come  to  pass,  for  I  will 
Do  it ;  I  will  not  go  back,  neither  will  I  spare,  [  'till  I  have 
caused  My  fury  to  rest  upon  thee,  and  thou  art  purged  trom 
thy  filthiness,'  verse  13,]  neither  will  I  repent.' — Ezek.  xxiv. 
14. 

'God  is  not  a  man  that  He  should  lie,  neither  the  son  of 
man  that  He  should  Repent.  Hath  he  said,  and  shall  He 
not  DO  it?  or  hath  He  spoken,  and  shall  He  not  make  it 
GOOD?'— Numb,  xxiii.  19. 

'  Will  the  Lord  Cast  of  forever  ?  and  will  He  be  favora- 
ble NO  MORE  ?'  Is  His  Mercy  entirely  Gone  Forever  ?  or 
DOTH  HIS  PROMISE  FAIL  FOREVERMORE  ?— 
Hath  God  forgotten  to  be  Gracious  ?  Hath  He  in  Anger 
shut  up  His  tender  mercies  ?  And  I  said,  This  is  my  infir- 
mity V — Ps.  Ixvii.  7-10.  'jFor  the  Lord  will  not  Cast  Off 
Forever  ;'  'Neither  will  He  Forsake  His  Inheritance  ;'— 
'Nor  suffer  His  Faithfulness  to  Fail ;'  'For  His  Anger  en- 
dureth  but  a  Moment,'  but  'His  Mercy  endureth  Forever!' 
—Lam.  iii.  31 ;  Ps.  xciv.  14;  Ixxxix.  83;  xxx.  5;    cxxxvi. 

'The  Lord  is  not  slack  concerning  His  Promises.'' — 2 Pet. 
iii.  9.  'The  word  of  the  Lord  endureth  forever. '—1  Pet.  i.25. 

'The  Scriptures  must  be  Fulfilled,' — Mark  xiv.  49.  'The 
Scriptures  cannot  be  broken.' — John  x.  35. 

'Jesus   Christ  was  a  minister  of  Circumcision  for    the 


72  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE, 

truth  of  God,  to  Confiioi  tlie  Fromlses  made  unto  the  Fa- 
thers.'— Rom.  XV.  8. 

'Thus  it  beliooved  the  Son  of  Alan  to  suffer,  and  to 
rise  from  the  dead  the  third  daj^  :  that  repentance  and  Re- 
mission of  Sins  should  be  preached  amonsr  All  Nations,  be- 
c>innin?at  Jerasalcm,  -  -  And  Behold,  I  Send  THE  PROM- 
ISE OF  MY  FATHER  upon  You.'—hwVc  xxiv.  46-48. 

'Abraham  staggered  not  at  the  Promise  of  God  through 
unbelief,  but  was  strong  in  faith,  giving  glory  to  God  ; 
being  fully  persuaded  that  what  He  had  Promised,  He  was 
Able  also  to  Perform.^ — Roni.iv.  21. 

'Let  us  hold  fast  the  profession  of  our  faith  without  wa- 
vering, for  He  is  Faithful  that  Promised.' — Heb.  x.  23. 

"Oh,  why  should  the  hearts  of  believers  be  sad, 

Orreliijion  be  clolli'd  in  the  vestments  of  gloom  ? 
In   lieavcn   above  there  are  none  but  the  glad, 

And  we  are  their  kindred  and  heaven  our  home. 
Weep  we  for  the  living, — the  cruel,  the  vain. 

The  proud  and  seif-righleous  who  scoff  at  our  Faith; 
But  the  infinite  Love  even  them  shall  reclaim, 

Unbelief  shall  be  lost  in  the  life  beyond  death." 

Rev.  A.  B.  Grosh. 


OBJECTION. 

These  Promises  are  all  Conditional,  depending  not  for  their  ful- 
filment upon  the  direct  Power  of  Gnd,  nor  the  surety  of  His  Pur- 
poses ;  but  upon  the  universal  obedience  and  richteousness  of  men 
in  the  present  life.  But  as  this  necessary  condition  is  manifestly 
not  cotnplied  with  on  tlie  part  of  mankind,  of  course  God  is  under 
no  obligation  to  confer  the  Universal  Blessedness  which  He  gra- 
ciously proposed  and  offered  in  the  beginning. 


Will  the  objector  please  to  point  out  the  Proviso  clauses, 
and  the  Restrictive  Sentences,  in  the  above  quoted  passages 
relating  to  the  Promise  of  the  Abrahamic  Covenant.  But 
he  will  not  indeed  pretend  that  any  of  these  passages  are 
modified  by  any  such  conditional  phrases.  The  objector 
merely  imagines  that  they  ought  to  be  there,  or  are  at  least 
understood.,  because  he  thinks  they  are  certainly  expressed 
somewhere  in  the  Bible.     But  unless  he  will  allow  that  the 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  7 J 

Bible  contradicts  itself,  we  shoukl  be  satisfied  to  attend 
carefully  tirst,  to  the  portions  which  are  already  under  no- 
tice. Now  there  is  no  language  in  all  the  two  Testaments, 
of  a  more  positive  and  absolute  character,  than  that  of  the 
foregoing  collection  of  the  Promises.  Each  of  them  is 
a  plain  'Thus  saitli  the  Lord,'  containing  the  broad,  un- 
qualified, and  unreserved,  /  Will  Do,  and  They  shall  Be, 
th2is,  thus,  and  So.  It  is  obviously  altogether  in  vain  for 
any  to  attempt  to  evade  the  great  scriptural  grounds  of  the 
Faith  of  universal  redemption  by  any  pretensions  of  their 
Co7iditionality.  Such  an  objection  we  should  really  not 
expect  to  meet  with  here,  after  the  proofs  we  have  just  ex- 
hibited in  the  last  section,  o'ithe  Infallibility  of  the  Divine 
Promise  of  the  Restoration,  but  we  are  disposed  to  combat 
this  objection  a  little  further  and  more  directly. 

Connected  with  one  of  the  leading  Promises  comprised  in 
the  first  division,  there  is  a  verse  that  so  strongly  illustrates 
and  enforces  the  truth  of  our  present  position,  that  we  pur- 
poselj^  omitted  and  reserved  it,  for  the  present  place.  We 
will  re-quote  that  Promise  including  the  omitted  verse.  It 
is  that  memorable  one  in  the  31st  of  Jeremiah  :  'Behold, 
the  days  come  saith  the  Lord,  that  I  will  make  A  New  Cov- 
enant with  the  house  of  Israel,  and  with  the  house  of  Ju- 
dah  :  [now  mark  :]  NOT  ACCORDING  to  the  covenant 
which  I  made  with  their  fathers,  in  the  day  that  I  took  them 
by  the  hand  to  bring  them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt ;  [Well, 
in  what  respect  then  was  this  New  Covenant  to  differ  from 
the  Old  and  obsolete  one  ?  Why,  in  regard  to  this  very 
conditio7iality,— read  :]  jvhich  My  Coveyiant  they  brj^ke, 
although  I  Avas  an  husband  unto  them,  saith  the  Lord. — 
[Here  we  see  that  God  had  ordained  that  the  realization  of 
the  blessings  which  were  promised  under  the  former  Cove- 
nant should  be  dependent  upon  the  self-exertions  and  contin- 
uing obedience  of  the  people,  who  should  also  have  power  to 
'break'  that  Covenant,  and  be  in  consequence  disinherited 
from  its  privileges.  But  the  New  Covenant  was  '■Not  Ac- 
cording'' to  this.  It  involved  a  Purpose  of  the  Almighty 
which  was  of  too  grand  and  important  a  character  to  be  sus- 
pended upon  the  weak  nature  of  man,  or  upon  any  subordi- 


74  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

natc,  anil  therefore  imperfect  power,  whatever.  Now  we 
note  llie  characteristic  alisoluteness  of  the  Promises  of  the 
New  Covenant.]  But  THlSsliall  be  the  Covenant  that  I 
will  make  with  the  house  of  Israel  ;  After  those  daj's,  saiih 
the  Lord,  I  WILL  PUT  iAIY  LAW  IN  THLIH  INWARD 
PARTS,  AND  WRITE  IT  IN  THEIR  HEARTS  ;]  Is 
not  this  one  of  the  most  withering  reprehensions  of  the  Free 
Agency  Doctrine  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken  ?]  and  will  be 
their  God,  and  THEY  SHALL  BE  MY  PEOPLE.  -  -  - 
For  THEY  SHALL  ALL  KNOW  ME,'  &c.  There  is 
not  the  smallest  condition  here,  of  any  effort  of  faith  or  good 
Avorks  on  the  part  of  mankind  for  the  inheritance  of  this 
salvation,  (for  those  things  belong  to  the  Conditional  Dis- 
pensation of  the  present  stale,)  the  only  condition  to  be  ac- 
complished in  order  that  All  shall  Know  the  Lord  and  be- 
come His  People,  being,  that  the  law  should  be  put  in  their 
inward  parts  and  written  in  their  hearts,  which  God  Avho  on- 
ly can,  has  Himself  promised  to  do. 

'Bv  K?,'  said  Paul,  'All  the  Promises  inCiikist,  are  YEA 
and  "VERILY,  unto  the  Glory  of  God.'— 2  Cor.  i.  20.— 
Here  is  a  very  plain  attestation  of  the  absoluteness  of  the 
Divine  Promises  through  Christ.  These  Promises,  it  must 
be  conceded,  relate  to  the  ?OT???orte/?  salvation  and  blessedness, 
(1)  because  it  is  an  unconditional  &^[vdi\\on.,  whereas  the  re- 
demption of  the  present  life  is  not,  as  is  clearly  manifest  from 
a  hundred  testimonies  to  this  point,  and  the  absoluteness  of 
the  former  is  no  less  strongly  verified  ;  (2)  because  the  salva- 
tion 'in  Chrisf  is  a  Universal  one,  while  that  of  the  present 
state  only  embraces  'the  first  fruits,'  'the  elect ;'  and  (3)  he- 
canse  Christ  is  a  sj9m7?fffZ,  and  not  a  temporal  Saviour,  a 
Heavenly  King,  whose  kingdom  is  'not  of  this  world.' 

'God  is  true,'  saith  the  Apostle,  'And  Jesus  Christ  the 
Son  of  God  was  not  preached  among  you  by  us.  Yea 
AND  Nay,  [may  he,a7id  may  7iot  be,'\  but  [the  Promise]  in 
him  was   YEA.'— 2  Cor.  i.   18,  19. 

St.  Paul  anticipated  and  replied  to  this  very  objection 
we  are  considering,  with  much  explicitness  in  another 
place.  ^ Is  the  law  \\\\e  covenant  of  works  which  concerns 
the  present  life,]  then,''  he  asks,  'against  the  PROMISES 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE,  75 

OF  God?  God  forbid!  For  if  there  had  been  a  laio  given 
which  COULD  have  conferred  life,  truly,  righteousness 
should  have  been  by  the  law,  [whose  benefits  are  condition- 
al, rather  than  by  Promise,  whose  blessings  are  certain.— 
'For  if  that  covenant  had  been  faultless,  then  should  no  place 
have  been  sought  for  another.']  But  the  Scripture  hath 
concluded  ALL  under  sin,  that  the  Promise  might  be  given 
[made  known]  to  them  that  believe, — Gal.  iii.  22  ;  [the 
C7/ibelievers  'being  kept  under  the  law  shut  up  unto  the 
faith  which  should  afterwards  be  revealed.' — v.  23. 

And  again,  'The  Covenant  [with  the  fathers]  which  was 
confirmed  before  of  God  through  Christ,  the  law  cannot 
DISANNUL,  tJiat  it  should  make  the  Promise  of  none  effect. — 
For  if  the  Inheritance  be  [through  the  obedience]  q{  the  law, 
IT  IS  NO  MORE  OF  Promise  ;  but  God  gave  the  Inheritance 
to  Abraham  by  Promise.' — Gal.  iii.  17,  18. 

The  Covenant  is  said  to  be  'an  Everlasting  Covenant, 
ordered  in    all  things,  and  SURE.' — 2  Sam.  xxiii.  5. 

The  Promise,  Paul  certifies  us,  is  made  'SURE  to  All 
THE  Seed,'  which  is  'AH  the  Nations,'  'Families,'  and  'Kin- 
dreds of  the  Earth.' — Rom.  iv.  16.     See  Rom.  ix.  8. 

The  word  of  Prophecy  is  said  to  be  'SURE.'— 2  Pet.  i.  19. 

The  Testimonies  of  the  Lord,  'VERY  SURE.'— Ps. 
xciii.  5. 

And  'this  Hope  we  have  as  an  anchor  to  the  soul,  both 
Sure  and  Steadfast.'' — Heb.  vi.  19. 

'Not  one  jot  or  tittle  of  the  law  shall  fail,  till  all  be  ful- 
filled.'—Luke  xvi.   17. 

Besides,  salvation  is  ^7iot  of  works  ^  but  'according  to  His 
Eternal  Purpose,'  'according  to  His  own  Purpose  and  Grace 
in  Christ  Jesus  before  the  world  began.'  And  does  the  Al- 
mighty hang  the  accomplishment  of  His  Purposes,  and  the 
fulfilment  of  His  Promises,  upon  the  weakness  of  creature 
workings,  or  the  blind  staggerings  of  Chance  ? 

'I  will  cause  you  to  pass  under  the  rod,  saith  the  Lord, 
and  bring  You  into  The  Covenant.' — Ezek.  xx.  37. 

Praise  the  Lord    for  He    ie  glorious, 

Never   shall    His  Promisk  fail, 
God  hath  made  His    love  Victorious, 

Sin  and  death  shall  not  prevail. 


76  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

PROPOSITION   FIFTH. 

The.  Apostles  Eecngjiized  this  Ancient  Promise  and  Univer- 
sal COVENANT  of  Grace  as  the  very  Keystone  of  the 
Gospel  Temple,  and  continually  Referred  to,  and  Illus- 
trated it  in  their  Writings. 

EXAMPLES. 

"We  are  judged  for  the  Hope  of  the  Promise  of  God  which  was 
made  uiuo  our  l''aihei's." — Paul. 

•This  is  THE  Promise  He  hath  Promised  us,  even  life  eter- 
nal.'— 1  John  ii.  25.  'Eternal  life,  which  God,  that  cannot 
lie,  Promised  before  the  world  began.' — Titus  i.  2. 

'The  Covenant  which  God  made  with  our  Fathers,  say- 
ing unto  Abraham,  In  thy  Seed  shall  All  the  Kindreds  of  the 
Earth  be  Blessed,'' — Acts  iii,  25  ;  ['by  turning  away  Every 
One  from  his  iniquities.'— verse  26.] 

'This  is  My  Covenant  with  them,  saith  the  Lord,  when  I 
shall  TAKE  AWAY  THEIR  SiNS.' — Rom.  xi.  27. 

'And  the  Scripture,  forseeing  that  God  would  justify  the 
Heathen  through  Faith,  preached  before  THE  GOSPEL 
unto  Abraham,  saying,  In  thee  shall  All  Nations  he  Blessed.' 
—Gal.  iii.  S. 

'According  to  His  Promise,  God  hath  raised  unto  Isra  e 
a  Saviour,  Jesus."— Acts  xiii.  23. 

'And  we  declare  unto  You  Glad  Tidings,  how  that  the 
Promise  which  was  made  unto  our  Fathers,  God  hath  fulfil- 
led the  same  unto  Us  their  children,  in  that  He  hath  raised 
up  Jesus  from  the  dead.'— Acts  xiii.  32,  33.  Him  hath  God 
exalted  to  be  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  and  to  give  repentance 
to  Israel  and  forgiveness  of  sins.'— v.  3L 

'The  Promise  is  unto  j^ou  and  your  children,  and  to  All 
that  are  Afar  Off,  even  as  Many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall 
call,— Acts  ii.  39  ;  for  'He  will  have  Mercy  upon  whom  He 
Will  have  mercy,'  even  'upon  ALL,'  and  'Who  art  thou, 
O  Man,    that  repliest    against  God  ?' — Rom.  ix. 

'He  is  thc?*Mediator  of  A  Better  Covenant,  established 
upon  Better  Promises;  for  if  that  First  Covenant  [that  of 
the  law — of  works,  which  is  necessarily  mjser/ccf,  because 


REASONS    FOR    OUR   HOPE.  7^ 

of  its  contingency, "]  had  been  Faidtless,  there  should  no 
place  have  been  sought  for  the  Second.' — Heb.  viii.  8,  9. — 
'For  the  law  made  nothing  Perfect,  [sure  ;]  but  the  bringing 
in  of  A  Better  Hope,  DID.' — Heb.  vii.  19. 

These  Promises  St.  Peter  calls  ^Exceeding  Great  and 
Precious.' — 2  Pet.  i.  5. 

'The  Hope  that  is  laid  up  for  You  in  heaven,  whereof  ye 
have  heard  before  in  the  word,  of  the  truth  of  the  Gospel, 
which  is  come  unto  You,  as  it  is  to  All  the  World,  and 
bringeth  forth  fruit,  as  it  doth  also  in  you,  since  the  day  ye 
heard  of  it,  and  Knew  the  Grace  of  God  in  truth.'— Col.  i. 
5,6. 

'Continue  in  the  Faith  grounded  and  settled,  and  be  not 
moved  away  from  the  Hope  of  THE  GOSPEL,  which  ye 
have  heard,  and  which  was  preached  for  every  creature 
WHICH  is  UNDER  HEAVEN,  whereof  I,  Paul,  am  made  a  Min- 
ister.'— Col.  i.  23.  Yet  how  many  good  people  there  are 
calling  and  thinking  themselves  believers  in  the  Gospel, 
who,  notwithstanding  the  plain  declarations  of  the  great  A- 
postle  as  to  the  doctrine  to  which  he  was  ordained  a  Preach- 
er, entertain  an  especial  repugnance  to  Universalist  Minis- 
ters of  modern  times. 

Yes,  St.  Paul  indeed  was  a  Minister  of  the  Gospel,  but 
not  a  minister  of  lorath,  not  a  preacher  of  a  God  who  is  a 
respector  of  persons,  of  a  Saviour  who  shall  spurn  the  sin- 
ful and  the  unbelieving  from  his  kingdom,  of  a  salvation 
which  is  of  works,  of  self,  and  for  a  few,  and  not  of  grace, 
of  gift,  of  Christ,  and  for  all, — of  a  Hell  of  cruel,  excrucia- 
ting, endless,  and  useless  tortures  for  'those  who  are  igno- 
rant and  out  of  the  way;  for  the  word  Hell,  nor  indeed  either 
of  these  anti-Christian  doctrines,  is  to  be  found  in  all  his 
numerous  writings.  But  he  was  a  Preacher  of  a  very  dif- 
ferent gospel,  indeed,  even  'the  glorious  Gospel  of  Christ,' — 
2  Cor.  iv.  4  ;  'the  glorious  Gospel  of  the  blessed  God,' — 
1  Tim.  i.  11  ;  which  is  a  'Gospel  o(  Peace,  and  Glad  Tid- 
ings of  Good  Things,'— lS,ph.  vi.  1,  Rom.  x.  15  ;  'the  Gos- 
pel of  the  Grace  of  God,' — Acts  xx.  24  ;  a  Gospel  which  is 
without  charge,  and  for  all, — 1  Cor.  ix.  18,  19  ;  a  Gospel 
which  is  for  the  circumcision,  the  uncircumcision,  and  the 

E 


78  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

heathen, — Gal.  ii.  7,  9  ;  the  same  which  Jesus  'went  through 
every  city  and  villai^e  preaching,  showing  the  Glad  Tidings 
of  the  kingdom  of  God,'— Luke  viii.  1  ;  of  which  the  Proph- 
ets foretold  he  should  make  known,  when  they  wrote,  'Behold 
upon  the  mountains  the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth  Good 
Tidings,  that  publislieth  Peace,'  and  'Salvation,' — Nah.  i. 
15;  Is.  lii.  7  ;  of  which  the  Lord  spake  when  He  Promised,  '1 
will  give  to  Jerusalem  One  that  bringeth  Good  Tidings,''— 
Is.  xli.  27  ;  and  Isaiah  when  he  prophesied,  'The  Lord 
hath  anointed  him  to  preach  Good  Tidings, — even  to  pro- 
claim deliverance  to  the  captives,  the  opening  of  the  prison 
to  them  that  are  bound,  and  to  comfort  all  that  mourn, — Is. 
Ixi.  1  ;  the  same  as  tliat  which  the  angel  announced  from 
on  high  as  'Glad  Tidings  of  great  joy  which  should  be  unto 
All  People,' — Luke  ii.  14  ;  that  Gospel  which  should  be 
preached  'among  All  Nations,'  into  'All  the  World,'  'for 
'Every  Creature,'  even  'for  Every  Creature  7vhich  is  under 
Heaven,' — Mark  xiv.  9  :  xvi.  15  ;  Col.  i.  23  ;  which  the 
Revelator  denominates  '  The  Everlasting  Gospel,'  which  shall 
be  given  'to  Every  Nation,  and  Kindred,  and  Tongue,  and 
People,' — Rev.  xiv.  6  ;  the  Gospel,  in  fine,  which  the  Apostle 
himself  defined  to  be  the  Covenant  with  Abraham,  in  which 
God  Promised  that  through  One  who  should  come,  'All 
Nations  shall  be  Blessed.' — Gal.  iii.  8.  This,  and  no 
other,  is  the  Christian  Gospel,  the  Faith  which  Paul  cher- 
ished and  preached,  and  in  relation  to  which  he  declared 
that  any  other  gospel  beside  this  which  he  had  received  and 
communicated  should  be  accursed.— G\\\.  i.  6—8.  Aye,  he 
preached  'the  Fubiess  of  the  blessing  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,' 
— Rom.  XV.  29  :  'I  have  preached  to  you  the  Gospel  of  God 
Freely,'  also,  said  Paul, — 2  Cor.  xi.  7  ;  yea,  'I  have  Fully 
preached  the  Gospel  of  Christ.' — Rom.  xv.  19.  Universal- 
ists  are  indeed  the  only  legitimate  believers  of  the  fulness 
of  the  Divine  Gospel,  as  exhibited  by  the  Saviour  and  his 
apostles,  yet  the  modern  Pharisee  would  not  only  deny  to 
them  a  faith  of  the  Redeemer's  Gospel,  but  also  the  very 
Christian,  and  Evangelical  name.  And  this  is  the  more 
singular  and  unfair,  when  the  fact  is  well  known  that  the 
Universalist  form  of  Christianity  is  the  only  one    that   truly 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  79 

comports  with  the  very  signification  of  the  terms  'Gospel' 
and  'Evangelism,'  which,  is  (for  these  two  words  are  synon- 
ymous,) good  neivs,  joyous,  or  heavenly  intelligoice,  tidings 
of  great  blessedness  and  Peace  ;  while  the  opposite  doc- 
trines, which  teach  so  many  fearful  things,  concerning  the 
dreadfulness  of  God's  Justice,  the  terribleness  of  Lucifer, 
the  fabled  antagonist  God  of  Evil,  of  his  awful  rebellion  in, 
and  separation  from  heaven,  of  the  unimaginable  terrors 
and  sufferings  of  the  vast  kingdom  of  Tartarus,  of  the  deep, 
dark,  and  abominable  wickedness  of  the  human  heart,  and 
of  the  essential  gloominess  and  mysteriousness  of  religion, 
— this  form  of  faith,  jealous  of  the  appropriation  of  those 
terms  to  any  other  system,  is  itself,  in  its  whole  nature,  the 
very  antipodes  of  what  those  Avords  express. 

'The  Promise  is  pronounced,  'The  Word  of  God,  even 
the  Mystery  which  hath  been  hid  from  ages  and  from  Gen- 
erations, but  now  is  made  manifest  to  His  saints  ;  to  whom 
God  would  make  known  what  is  the  Eiches  of  the  Glory 
of  this  Mystery  among  the   Ge7itiles.'—Co\.  i.  26,  27. 

'Ye  have  heard  of  the  dispensation  of  the  Grace  of  God, 
that  is  given  me,  [saith  Paul,]  to  you-ward ;  how  that  by 
revelation  He  made  known  unto  me  the  Mystery,  -  -  which 
in  other  ages  was  not  made  known  unto  the  sons  of  men, 
as  it  is  71020  revealed  unto  the  holy  Apostles  and  prophets 
by  the  Spirit,  that  the  Gentiles,  [the  scripture  usage  of  the 
words 'Ge7itile,'  nnd 'Heathen,'  is  generally  equivalent  to 
the  Unbelievi7ig  and  the  Wicked  m  general,]  should  be 
Fellow-Heirs,  of  the  same  Body,  [of  Mankind,]  and  Par- 
takers of  His  Promise  in  Christ  throtigh  the  Gospel,  [see 
Gal.  ill.  8.]  -  -  -  that  I  should  preach  among  the  Gentiles 
the  TJnsearchahle  Riches  of  Christ,  and  to  make  All  Men 
SEE,  what  is  the  Fellowship  of  the  Mystery,  which  from 
the  Beginning  of  the  world  hath  been  hid  in  God.'— Eph. 
iii.  3-9. 

'  There  is  neither  Jeui  7ior  Greek,  there  is  neither  bond  nor 
free,  there  is  7ieither  Male  nor  Female,  but  ye  are  all  ONE 
in  Christ  Jesus  ;  (see  also  John  xiii.  37,  &c  ;)  and  if  Ye 
be  Christ's,  then  are  Ye  Abraham's  Seed,  a7id  Heirs  ; — 


1B9  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

according  to  the  Promise'  (of  Universal  Blessedness  which 
was  made  unto  the  fathers.) — Gal.  iii.  28,  29. 

'For  THE  Promise  that  he  should  be  Heir  of  the  World, 
was  7iot  to  Abraham  and  his  seed  through  the  law,  but 
through  the  righteousness  of  Faith.  For  if  they  which  are 
of  the  law,  (only,)  be  heirs.  Faith  is  viade  void,  and  the 
Promise  made  of  none  effect  ;  (for  then  only  those  who  are 
faithfully  obedient  to  the  works  of  the  law  in  the  present 
life  could  inherit  the  salvation,  while  millions  who  are  dis- 
obedient to  the  law,  and  myriads  more  who  are  without  it 
entirely,  departed,  living,  and  unborn,  could  never  be  re- 
leased from  their  sins.)  Because  the  law  worketh  wrath  ; 
for  where  no  law  is  there  is  no  transgression.  Therefore 
it  is  of  Faith,  that  it  might  be  by  Grace  ;  to  the  end  that  it 
might  he  SURE  TO  ALL  THE  SEED;  (\{s  tmcondition- 
ality  ensures  this,  the  inheritance  being  purely  of 'Grace,' 
of 'Promise,'  of 'the  eternal  Purpose  which  He  purposed  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord,'  and  'not  of  works,'  for  'all  are  con- 
cluded in  sin,'  and  'unbelief.'  So,  the  Promise  is  SURE 
to  All  the  Seed.  And  who  are  the  seed  of  Abraham  ?  Ans. 
All  Mankind  :  'The  Children  of  the  Promise — [viz:  All  the 
Families  of  the  Earth,']  are  counted  for  the  Seed.' — Rom. 
ix.  8 ;  and  as  All  are  Christ's,  so  All  are  Abraham's  seed, 
and  accordingly  Heirs  of  the  Promise. — Gal.  iii.  28,  29.] 
Not  only  to  the  seed  which  is  of  the  law,  but  to  that  also 
v/hich  is  of  the  Faith  of  Abraham,  [the  Gentiles,"Unbeliev- 
ers  and  the  unrighteous,]  who  is  the  Father  of  us  All, — 
as  it  is  written,  I  have  made  thee  a  Father  of  MANY  Na- 
tions.'— Rom.  iv.  13-16.  'For  they  are  not  ALL  Israel 
which  are  (merely)  OF  Israel.'— Rom.  ix.  6.  For  'God 
is  able  even  of  the  stones  of  the  field,  (much  more  of  living 
souls,  though  never  so  morally  dead,)  to  raise  up  children 
unto  Abraham.'— Mat.  iii.  9.  The  ancient  prophecy  is, 
that  'Israel  shall  be  heir  unto  them  that  were  his  heirs.'— 
Jer.  xlix.  2.  Ezekiel  also  wrote  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord,  'I  will  cause  men  to  walk  upon  you,  even  My  people 
Israel  ;  and  they  shall  possess  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  their 
Inheritance,  and  thou  shalt  no  more  henceforth  be  bereaved 
of  them.'— xxxvi.  12.  'Thy  seed  shall  inherit  the  Gentiles.' 
Is.  liv.  3. 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  81 

Thus  it  is  seen  that  the  good  Father  of  All  has  bequeathed 
the  inheritance  of  His  righteousness  and  salvation  impartially 
to  all  His  children,  whose  heirship  has  been  duly  confirmed, 
and  whose  title  is  luminously  and  indelibly  recorded.  And 
what  a  pitiful  thing  it  is  to  see  the  whole  family  of  the  race 
involved  in  wrangling  and  enmity  concerning  the  fruition 
of  this  paternal  legacy,  when  its  extent  is  so  unsearchable, 
and  its  Donor  so  infinitely  beneficent  and  impartial! 

'We,  according  to  His  Probiise,  look  for  New  Heavens 
and  a  New  Earth,  wherein  dwellelh  Righteousness.' — 2 
Pet.  iii.  13.  But  we  do  not  look  for  any  terrible  world  of 
demons  and  tormented  spirits,  wherein  shall  dwell  eternal 
suflTering  and  unrighteousness,  for  the  Lord  has  never  Pro- 
mised anything  of  such  a  kind. 

'  We  sorrow  not  for  those  who  sleep  as  others  who  have 
NO  Hope.'— 1  Thess.  iv.  13.  'Weep  je  not  for  the  Dead, 
neither  bemoan  him.' — Jer.  xxii.  10. 

'Having  therefore  these  Promises,  dearly  beloved,  let  us 
cleanse  ourselves  from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh,  perfecting 
holiness  in  the  fear  of  God.' — 2  Cor.  vii.  1.  'For  the  Grace 
of  God  which  bringeth  salvation  to  All  Men  having  appear- 
ed, teacheth  us,  that  denying  ungodliness  and  worldly 
lusts,  we  should  live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in  this 
present  world.'—Titus  ii.  11. 

'Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who,  according  to  His  abundant  mercy,  hath  Begotten  us 
again  unto  A  Living  Hope,  by  the  Resurrection  of  Jesus 
Christ  from  the  Dead,  to  an  Inheritance  incorruptible  and 
undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away.' — 1  Pet.  i.  3. 


THE  CHRISTIAN  HOPE. 

"Hail,  sweetest,   dearest  tie  that  binds. 

Our  glowing  hearts  in  one, — 
Hail,  sacred  Hope,  that  tunes  our  minds, 

To  sing  what  God  hath  done. 
It  is  the  Hope,  the  blissful  Hope, 

Which  Love  Divine  hath  given, 
The  Hope  that    sin  shall  be  no  more, 

And  Ail  shall  meet  in  heaven. 


82  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

From  Efistern  shores,  from  Northern  hinds. 
From   Western   hill  and  plain 

And  Souliiern  climes — the   brotiier-banda 
Miiy  hope  to  meet  ni;nin. 

0,  glorious,  great,  relestial  Hope, 
""which  Gospel  Failli  hath  given, 

That    Evil  shall   at    last    be  o'er, 
And  All  shall  meet  in  heaven. 

No  hope    deferr'd,    no   parting  sigh, 

That  blessed  meeting  knows, 
There  glory  beams  from  every  eye. 

And  love  immortal  grows. 
0,  precious  Hope,   and  glad'ning  Hope, 

Which  boundless  Grace  hath  given. 
That  All  Mankind  shall  be  Redeem'd, 

And  glonhed  in  Heaven." 


OBJECTION. 


But  in  order  that  All  Mankind  should  inherit  the  blessings  that 
were  Covenanted  unto  the  Fathers,  through  Christ,  it  is  essential 
that  there  should  be  a  universal  and  abiding  Faith  in  the  eflioacy 
of  that  Covenant,  and  in  the  Redeemer,  Jesus,  which  alas  '.  is 
manifestly  untrue  with  myriads  of  our  race. 

ANSWER. 

The  Apostles  themselves  have  foreseen  and  conclusively 
answered  this  objection,  so  that  it  will  be  merely  necessary 
to  quote  their  language  in  order  to  show  its  unscripturality, 
at  once;  though  the  scriptures  that  have  already  been  ad- 
vanced in  proof  of  the  infallibility  and  unconditionality  of 
these  proinises,  we  think  amply,  but  perhaps  a  little  more 
indirectly,  cover  the  same  ground  : 

'What  if  some  did  not  believe  ?  [asks  the  apostle  ;]  shall 
their  unbelief  make  the  faith,  [the  faithfulness]  of  God  of 
none  effect?  God  forbid  !  Yea,  let  GOD  be  True,  and 
Every  Man  a  liar.'— Rom.  iii.  3,  4.  Though  every  individ- 
ual of  mankind  were  to  doubt  or  disbelieve  the  truth  of  the 
gospel  and  of  the  divine  promises,  it  would  only  affect  their 
happiness,  and  not  the  truth  itself.  God  would  still  be  true 
to  the  performance  of  His  Promises,  for  His  faithfulness  is 
immutable,   and  does  not  depend  upon  the  faith  or  disbelief 


REASOKS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  83 

of  His  creatures.  Thus,  the  disbelief  of  man,  or  even  of 
'every  man,'  cannot  prevent  the  fulfilment  of  the  purposed 
Promises,  to  make  them  of  none  effect ;  for  if  it  could,  then 
those  Promises,  and  the  veracity  of  God  would  be  falsified, 
and  not  the  faith  of  man. 

'He  that  believeth  hath  the  witness  in  himself;  [he  en- 
joj'^s  the  peaceful  fruit  of  his  believing,  receives  the  end  of 
his  faith,  doth  enter  into  rest,  and  hath  eternal  life  abiding 
in  him  ;]  but  he  that  believeth  not  [the  testimony  of]  God, 
hath  made  him  a  liar  ;  because  he  believeth  not  the  Record 
that  God  gave  of  His  Son.  [What  was  that  Record  ?  The 
universal  blessedness  which  was  anciently  proinised  in  the 
Messiah  :]  And  this  is  the  Record,  that  God  hath  {offered  .?] 
GIVEN  us  Eternal  Life,  and  this  Life  is  through  His  Son.' 
— 1  John  V.  10,  IL  So  indeed  it  is,  that  all  who  persist 
in  discrediting  and  fighting  against  the  testimony  of  the 
Lord  to  His  Universal  Grace  and  Salvation,  treat  Him  just 
as  if  He  were  a  liar  !  But  it  is  a  blessed  thing  that  the 
love  and  mercy  of  the  Lord  are  so  much  greater  than  all  the 
faithlessness,  and  stubborn  unbelief,  and  even  than  the  si7is 
of  men,  and  shall  ultimately  overcome  and  resolve  them 
into  good. 

'■If  we  Believe  not,  [we  must  be  banished  to  everlasting 
agonies  ?]  yet  He  abideth  Faithful  ;  He  cannot  Deny 
Himself.' — 2  Tim.  ii.  13.  He  hath  Promised  that  'AH  the 
Kindreds  of  the  Earth  shall  be  Blessed,'  and  that  'All  Men, 
(which  of  course  m\\?,imc\\xAe  unbelievers  and  the  ignorant,) 
shall  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth;'  and  'We  is  faith- 
ful that  Promised,'  for  He  is  'the  Father  of  the  Spirits  of 
All  Flesh,'  whose  'tender  mercies  are  over  all  His  works  ;' 
so  if  any  disbelieve,  yet  He  abideth  faithful,  for  He  is  'loith- 
out  variableness,^  and  '■cannot  lie,'  nor  '■deny  Himself 

It  is  commonly  asserted  that  all  unbelievers  shall  be  doom- 
ed to  endless  misery.  What  use  must  people  make  of  their 
Bibles  to  entertain  or  give  utterance  to  such  a  sentiment  as 
that !  Reader,  do  you  believe  that  doctrine  ?  If  you  do, 
you  must  allow  that  damnation  is  universal,  and  that  you 
yourself  are  surely  being  reared  up  for  an  inhabitant  of  the 
vast,  dreadful,  and  everlasting  kingdom  of  His  Satanic  Ma- 


84  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

jesty ;  for  the  Scriptures  expressly  affirm  that  ^God  hath 
concluded  AhLi  in  unbelief.^  'But  stop!'  say  you,  *you 
have  not  quoted  but  half  of  that  i)assage  !'  You  are  exceed- 
ingly unlucky  in  retninding  me  of  that,  I  reply,  for  that  fol- 
lowiiiiT  clause  annihilates  your  position  that  the  unbelievers 
shall  be  lost,  inasmuch  as  their  unbelief  is  the  very  reason 
why  they  need  and  why  they  shall  have  redemption,  and  as 
the  necessity  for  universal  salvation  is  the  reason  why  All 
are  concluded  in  unbelief.  You  see  we  draw  opposite  con- 
clusions from  the  same  premise.  You  say  that  because  a 
man  is  an  unbeliever,  he  shall  be  eternally  perpetuated  in 
darkness,  and  endlessly  tormented  with  pains.  I  say  on  the 
contrary,  that  because  men  are  'darkened  in  their  under- 
standings,' perverse  in  faith,  distrustful  of  their  merciful 
Father,  and  sinful,  they  shall  be  saved,  because  Christ  died 
and  lives  expressly /'^r  s?/cA,  and  because  God  wills,  and 
has  determined  and  Promised  to  redeem  them,  and  finally 
to  exhaust  all  evil.  And  as  all  men  have  more  or  less  dis- 
affection towards  their  Creator,  He  has  concluded  them  All 
unbelievers,  '■that  He  may  shoio  Mercy  unto  AIL' 

Against  this  phalanx  of  plain  and  palpable  proofs  we  have 
drawn  from  the  scriptures  in  proof  of  our  position  that  the 
Promise  we  are  considering  is  not  contingent  iipon  the  faith 
of  men,  (as  we  have  before  proved  that  it  is  neither  contin- 
gent upon  human  loorks,)  the  objector  will  bring  the  follow- 
ing texts,  in  contradiction  to  those  we  have  above  cited  :  'He 
that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned.' — Mark  xvi.  16.  'He 
that  believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life ;  but  the  wrath 
of  God  abideth  on  him.' — John  iii.  36.  'God  shall  send 
them  strong  delusion,  that  they  should  believe  a  lie  :  that 
they  all  might  be  damned  who  believed  not  the  truth.' — 2 
Thess.  ii.  11,  12.  Now  we  would  not  evade  these  appar- 
ently conflicting  scriptures,  else  we  might  have  omitted  to 
notice  them  at  all.  Universalist  writers  have  always  been 
careful  to  give  these  passages,  and  all  others  of  the  kindred 
stamp,  verv  particular  and  candid  consideration.  But  an 
exposition  of  these  passages  not  being  the  task  we  have  un- 
dertaken in  this  book,  the  reader  ought  not  to  accuse  us  of 
evasion  for  not  giving  explanations  of  them  as  they  shall 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  85 

all  alonf^  occur  to  our  minds  in  the  course  ot  our  argument, 
especially  if  we  shall  he  careful  to  refer  him  to  ready  and 
complete  sources  of  information  upon  those  difficulties. — 
Mr.  Balfour,  in  his  'Inquiries,'  has  probably  written  most 
upon  those  passages  we  have  just  cited,  and  upon  the  whole 
class  of  those  which  contain  the  words  damnation,  judg- 
ment, fire,  hell,  &c.  And  we  might  also  observe,  that  while 
the  'Pro  and  Con,'  of  Rogers,  the  Sermons  of  Ballou,  the 
'Familiar  Conversations'  of  Streeter,  the  'Dialogues'  of  AVin- 
chester,  the  various 'Discussions,'  &;c.,  contain  extensive, 
thorough,  and  easy  expositions  of  all  the  popular  objective 
passages, — Mr.  Whittemore,  in  his  'Plain  Guide  to  Univer- 
salism,'  among  much  other  useful  and  valuable  matter,  has 
given  a  complete  explanation  q/'ewry  one  of  ihevi,  in  course, 
from  both  testaments,  in  a  concise,  critical,  and  conclusive 
manner,  and  stored  with  a  vast  number  of  concessionary  ex- 
planations from  the  most  eminent  Biblical  critics  of  other 
persuasions. 

But  in  regard  to  those  three  objective  texts  which  are 
above  mentioned,  we  will  remark  that  the  following  points 
may  be  easily,  and  have  been  repeatedly,    demonstrated. — 

(1)  That  these  passages  do  not  contradict  nor  disagree  with 
the  numerous  Promises  of  universal  salvation,  nor  with  the 
infinite  love  and  goodness  of  God,  nor  with  the  scripture 
doctrine  of  salvation  'by  grace,'  and  'not  of  works'  nor   self. 

(2)  That  the  word  'damned'  which  they  contain,  that  is  ac- 
cording to  its  common  acceptation,  is  a  manifest  perversion 
of  the  inspired  Greek,  which  reads,  simply  '■condemned,''  as 
the  same  word  is  sometimes  rendered  in  our  version,  which 
word  Qur  Lord  himself  defined,  (John  iii.  15,)  that  'light  was 
come  into  the  world,  and  men  loved  darkness  rather  than 
light.'  (3)  That  'the  condemnation'  which  was  the  conse- 
quence of  disbelief,  has  no  connection  whatever  with  the 
state  of  immortality,  which  is  the  great  point  that  is  ground- 
lessly  taken  for  granted,  while  the  contexts  and  abundant 
other  scripture  is  against  it.  (4)  That  these  passages  are 
parallels  with  a  large  class  which  teach  the  joy  and  life-giv- 
ing influences  of  a  confident  Christian/a?YA,  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  state  of  fearfulness,  darkness,  doubt,  and  supersti- 

5 


86  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

tion  which  ^ah'ideth''  \\\wn  the  votarios  of  error  and  bigotry. 
Anil  {■'))  that  many  of  the  most  learned  commentators  have 
interpreted  these  passages  in  the  same  manner,  acknowl- 
edoing  that  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery  cannot  be  forced 
from  those  words,  without  violence  to  their  legitimate  sig- 
nification. 

But  we  have  not  yet  quite  done  with  the  objection  we 
were  reviewing.  The  idea  we  here  have  to  express  is,  that 
whatever  is  truth,  is  immutably  and  eternally  so,  whether  it 
be  known  or  unknown  believed  or  doubted.  Now  we  are 
required  to  believe  in  Jesus  Christ  as  our  Saviour,  as  'the 
Saviour  of  the  World.'  But  we  are  not  required  to  believe 
this  in  order  to  prove  it  true  ;  but  because  it  is  an  actual, 
living  truth,  as  true  now,  as  it  will  be  when  it  is  fully  re- 
alized to  us,  and  as  true  millions  of  ages  ago  as  it  was  when 
the  Promise  was  first  communicated,  because  the  means  of 
its  accomplishment  were  fully  appointed,  and  the  operation 
and  result  of  those  means  as  well  known  unto  Omniscience 
as  they  ever  can  be.  We  quote  the  following  passages  in 
evidence  of  these  remarks  as  applied  to  the  Divine  Promises: 
'Forever,  O  Lord,  Thy  Word  is  settled  in  heaven  ;  Thy 
Faithfulness  is  unto  All  Generations.'— Ps.  cxix.  89.  'Con- 
cerning Thy  Testimonies,  I  have  known  that  of  Old  Thoti 
hast  Foicnded  them.,  aven  Forever.' — cxix.  152.  'Thy  Word 
is  True  from  the  Beginning.' — cxix.  160.  'The  works 
were  F'mished  [in  the  Eternal  Mind]  from  the  Foundation 
of  the  World.' — Heb.  iv.  3.  For  a  thousand  years  are  with 
the  Lord  but  as  a  day,  and  He  callcth  those  things  that  be 
notas  though  they  were.     2  Pet.  iii.S;  Rom,  iv.   17. 

"Can  liar  make 
God  lie  ?     or  cheat  his  neighbor  of  his  soul  ? 
No  1   God's  Salvation  vvaiicth  not  on  man's 
Weak  will  or  ministry  ;    nor  man's  perdition 
Upon  Lis  brother's  hatred  or  neglect. 
Can  murderer  slay  the  soul  ?    or  suicide 
Drutr  immortality?     Their  sin   is  (Treat, 
And  is  eternally  rondeiimed  of  God  ; 
But  Death  both  cause  and  consequence  destroy?. 
Their  own,  as  well  as  victim's  recompense." — Festus. 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  87 


PROPOSITION  SIXTH. 

The  Lord  has  Solemnly  MADE  OATH,  that  He  will  E- 
■mntually  Redeem  and  Glorify  All  Souls,  and  SWORN 
to  the  Fidfihnent  of  His  Promise. 

PROOFS. 

'By  Myself  have  I  Sworn,  saith  the  Lord,  -  -  -  That 
in  Blessing- 1  will  bless  thee,  and  in  Multiplying  I  will  mul- 
tiply thy  seed  as  the  stars  of  Heaven,  and  as  the  sand  upon 
the  sea-shore  ;  and  thy  Seed  \^Christ^  shall  Possess  even 
the  gate  of  his  enemies.  And  in  thy  Seed  shall  All 
the  Nations  of  the  Earth  he  Blessed.'' — Gen.  xxii,  17,  18, 

'I  am  the  Lord  and  there  is  none  else  !  I  have  Sworn 
BY  JMyself,  the  word  hath  gone  out  of  My  mouth  in  Righ- 
teousness, and  shall  not  return.  That  TJnto  Me  Every  Knee 
shalt  Bow.  and  Every  Tongue  shall  swear,  [the  vow  of  love 
and  filial  allegiance,]  Surely  shall  Say,  hi  the  Lord  have  I 
Righteousness  and  Strength  V — Is.  xlv.  22, 23. 

'■God  had  SwouN  tvith  an  Oath  unto  David,  that  of  the 
fruit  of  his  loins  according  to  the  flesh.  He  would  raise  up 
Christ  to  sit  upon  the  throne.' — Acts  ii.  30;  Saying,  'Once 
have  I  Sworn  by  My  Holiness,  -  -  his  Seed  shall  endure 
forever,  and  his  throne  as  the  Sun  before  Me.  It  shall  be 
established  forever  as  the  moon,  as  a  Faithful  Intercessor  in 
heaven.' — Ps.  Ixxxix,  35—37.  And  'He  ever  liveth  to  make 
intercession  for  us.' — Heb.  vii.  25. 

•'When  God  made  the  Promise  unto  Abraham,  because 
He  could  Swear  by  no  Greater,  He  Sware  by  Himself, 
saying,  SURELY,  Blessing  1  will  Bless  thee,'  &c. — Heb. 
vil.  13,  14. 

'Men  Swear  verily  hy  \\\q  Greater,  and  an  Oath  for  con- 
firmation is  to  them  a7i  end  of  all  strife  ;  wherein  God, 
willing  more  abundantly  to  show  unto  the  Heirs  of  His 
Promise,  ['All  the  Families  of  the  Earth,']  the  ImmiLt  ability 
of  His  Counsel,  [does  this  sound  like  'Contingency?']  Con- 
firmed it  by  an  OATH,  that  by  two  immutable  things,  in 
which  it  was  impossible  for  God  to  lie,  we  might  have 
a  Strong  consolation  who  have  fled   for  refuge    [from  'the 


88  REASONS    FOR    OUR  HOPE. 

bondage  of  fear,']  to  lay  hold  on  the  Hope  set  before  Us, 
which  Hope  we  have  as  an  Anchor  to  the  soul,  both  Sure 
and  Steadfast,  and  which  entereth  into  that  within  the  vail, 
whither  the  Forerunner  is  for  us  entered.' — Heb.  vi.  14-20. 

••^iark  to  the  mighty  paean  that  begins 

And  swells  and  echoes  from  the  farthest  bounds 

Of  the  redeem'd,  perfected  universe  ! 

For  every  creature  which  in  heaven  is, 

And  on  and  under  earth,  and  in  the  sea. 

And  all  that  in  them  are,   take  up  the   strain  ! 

And  blessing,  honor,  glory,  povv'r,  ascribe. 

To  Him  that  sitteth  on  th'  eternal  throne, 

And  to  the  Lamb  forever,  evermore!" 

Rev.  Thomas  Whittemore. 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  ARGUMENT. 

Are  the  Scriptures  Positive  that  the  Almighty  shall  be  Able 
to  Perform  this  Great  Oath  to  which  He  hath  Sworn  ? 

'And  the  Lord  appeared  unto  Isaac  and  said,  -  -  /  will 
Perform  the  Oath  which  I  Sware  unto  Abraham  thy  father, 
and  I  will  make  thy  seed  to  multiply  as  the  stars  of  heaven, 
and  I  will  give  unto  thy  Seed  all  these  countries,  [this  was 
a  vision  of  the  Promised  Land,  and  typical  of  the  celestial 
inheritance.]  And  in  thy  Seed  shall  All  the  Nations  of 
the  Earth  be  Blessed.' — Gen.  xxvi.  2-4. 

'So  shall  Ye  be  My  People,  and  I  will  be  your  God  : 
that  I  viay  Perform  the  Oath  v:hich  I  hate  Sworn  unto 
your  Fathers,  to  give  them  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and 
honey.' — Jer.  xi.  4,  5. 

'He  will  turn  again  ;  He  will  have  compassion  upon  us  ; 
He  ivill  Subdue  02ir  iniquities  ;  and  Thou  wilt  cast  all  their 
Sins  into  the  depths  of  the  sea  ;  Thou  wilt  Perform  the 
Truth  unto  Jacob,  and  the  Mercy  to  Abraham,  which  Thou 
hast  Sworn  ^tnto  our  Fathers  from  the  days  of  Old.' — Mi- 
cah  vii.  19,  20. 

The  beautiful  hosanna  of  the  venerable  Zacharias,  at  the 
birth  of  John  the  Baptist,  is  appropriate  here  to  conclude 
the  testimony  of  the  Promise  and  Oath  of  the  Lord  of  the 
ultimate  triumph  of  Good,  and  the  Salvation  of  Mankind  : 


REASONS   FOR   OUR   HOPE.  by 

'Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  Israel, 

For  He  hath  visited  and  Redeemed  His  People, 

And  hath  raised  up  a  horn  of  Salvation  for  Us, 

In  the  house  of  His  servant  David, — 

As  He  spake  by  the  mouth  of  All  His  holy  Prophets, 

Which  have  been  since  the  world  began  : 

That  we  should  be  Saved  from  our  [spiritual]  enemies,* 

And  from  the  power  of  all  that  hate  [tempt]  us ; 

To   Perform   the    Mercy  Promised  to  our    Fathers, 

And  to   Remember  His  Holy  Covenant, 

The  oath  which  He  Sware  to  our  Father  Abraham, 

That  He  would  grant  unto  Us,  that  We, 
Being  delivered  out  of  the  hand  of  our  enemies,  [the  power 

[and  dominion  of  evil,] 
Might  serve  Him  without  fear  in  holiness  and  righteousness, 

Before  Him  all  the  days  of  our   life. 

And  thou,  child,  shalt  be  called.  The  Prophet  of  the  Highest, 

For  thou  shalt  go  before  the  face  of  the  Lord, 

To  prepare  his  ways, 

To  give  knowledge  of  Salvation  unto  his  People, 

By  the  Remission  of  [the  Redemption  frovi]  their  Sins, 

Through  the  tender  Mercy  of  our  God  : 

Whereby  the  day-spring  from  on  high  hath  visited  us, 

To  give  Light  to  them  that  sit  in  Darkness, 

And  in  the  Shadow  of  Death, 

To  guide  our  feet  into  the  Way  of  Peace.' — Luke  i.  68-79. 

"How  sweet  to  the  soul  is  the  still  small  voice 

That  speaks  from  the  throne  above  ! 
It   bids    us    in    faith    and    hope  rejoice. 

In  God  and  His  boundless  love! 
Though  bow'd  by  the  weight  of  earthly  woe, 

It  bids  us  be  strong  in  Him  ; 
And  upward  we  look  and  behold  the  bow 

Of  Promise,  which  ne'er  is  dim. 

Though  darkness  may  brood  around  a  while. 

And  shadow  our  way  in  gloom, 
The  light  of  His  truth    ere  long  will  smile, 

And  joy  in  our  pathway  bloom, 


*The  original  of  this  word  doei"  not  imply  merely  AM/nan  adversaries,  but 
has  the  sense  also  of  adverse,  oy)\)cia\\\o  principles .  It  is  frequently  employ- 
ed in  the  Scriptures  to  represent  temptations,  and  evil  influences  in  general, 
and  must  be  so  understood  in  this  place,  to  agree  with  the  context. 


90  REASONS    FOn    OUR    HOPE. 

Then  let  us  attend  to  the  still  small  voice, 

Tiiat  whispers  fjoni  heaven  above. 
And  ever  conriiJing  in  God,  rejoice. 

In  Him  and  His  boundless  Love." 

Mrs.  C  M.  Sawyeb. 


PROPOSITION   SEVENTH. 

The  Almighty  has  COMMANDED  the   Salvation  of  All 
Men. 

PROOFS. 

'Look  unto  Me  and  BE  YE  SAVED,  ^?Z  the  Ends  of  the 
Earth,  for  I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  else  I' — Is.  xlv.  22. 

'Go  ye  into  All  the  World,  and  Preach  the  Gospel  [the 
Patriarchal  Covenant  of  Glad  Tidings  and  Blessedness  to 
All  the  People  of  the  Earth, — see  Gal.  iii.  8,  Luke  ii.  10, 
&c.]  to  EVERY  CREATURE.'— Mark  xvi.  15. 

'Go  ye  and  teach  All  Nations,  haptising  them,  &c.  teach- 
ing them  to  observe  all  things -whatsoever  I  have  Command- 
ed you.' — Mot.  xxviii.  19,  20.  See  ihe  following  striking 
parallels, — Luke  xxiv.  47,  Is.  xlix.  6.  Ps.  xcviii.  3,  Rev.  xiv. 
6,  Luke  ii.  10,  Col.  i.  20  and  23,  Eph.  iii.  9,  Luke  iii.  6. 

'The  times  of  ignorance  God  winked  at,  but  now  CoM- 
MANDETH  All  Men,  Evcryichere,  to  Repent.' — Acts  xvii.  30, 

'Ho  !  Every  One  that  thirsteth,  COME  YE  to  the  Wa- 
ters ;  [see  Ezek.  xlvii  ;  Rev.  xxii.]  and  he  that  hath  no 
money,  COME  !'— Is.  Iv.  1. 

'YE  SHALL  BE  HOLY,  foj-  I  the  Lord  your  God  am 
Holy.' — Lev.  xix.  2. 

'Therefore,  saith  the  Lord,  TURN  YE  even  to  Me  with 
all  yo7ir  heart,  [not  against  their  ui/ls,  mind,]  and  with  fast- 
ing, and  with  weeping,  and  with  mourning,  and  TURN 
unto  the  Lord  your  God.' — Joel  ii.  12,  13. 

'Abstain  from  Evil,  and  do  Good,' — 'Cease  to  do  Evil, 
and  learn  to  do  Well,' — Do  Good,  and  Sin  not, — 'Eschew 
Evil,  and  learn  Good,' — &c.  ' 

It  is  well  known,  at  least  to  the  Universalist  Order,  though 
indeed,  the  fact  is  verj''  generally  disregarded  by  that  Body 
of  Christians  who  should  know  it  best,  that  there  are  many 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  91 

Strong  and  undeniable  proofs  that  John  Wesley,  the  noble 
Founder  of  the  Methodists,  was,  during  the  last  year  or  so 
of  his  life,  not  only  a  doubter  of  the  truth  of  endless  misery, 
but  an  actual  believer  in  universal  redemption.  The  evi- 
dences of  this,  which  are  various,  are  principally  to  be 
found  in  his  sermons,  and  his  correspondence  with  several 
distinguished  divines,  written  during  that  period.  Some 
English  editions  of  his  works  contain  many  of  his  laier 
sermons  abounding  with  glowing  specimens  of  his  thinking 
and  preaching  upon  this  subject,  which,  in  the  modern,  and 
epecially  the  American  editions,  have  been  carefully  oblitera- 
ted. We  are  glad  to  present  the  reader  here  with  a  brief 
extract  from  one  of  his  occasional  sermons,  which  happily 
illustrates  and  enforces  the  very  subject  of  the  present  Pro- 
position :  'There  is,'  says  he,  'a  very  clear  and  full  Pro- 
mise, that  toe  shall  ALL  love  the  Lord  oxtr  God  with  all  our 
hearts.  So  we  read,  'Then  will  I  circumcise  thy  heart,  and 
the  heart  of  thy  seed,  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart  and  with  all  thy  soul.' — Dent.  xxx.  6.  Equalljr  ex- 
press is  the  word  of  the  Lord,  which  is  no  less  a  Promise, 
though  in  the  form  of  a  Command:  'Thou  shalt  love  the 
Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and 
with  all  thy  mind.'  No  words  can  be  stronger  than  these, 
no  Promise  zy.w\sQTaoxQ  express.  In  like  manner,  'Thou 
shalt  [ultimately]  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,'  is  as  express 
a  Promise  as  Command.  And  indeed,  that  general  and  Tjn- 
limifed  Promise  which  runs  through  the  Avhole  gospel  dis- 
pensation, 'I  WILL  PUT  My  laws  into  their  minds,  and  write 
them  in  their  hearts,'  turns  all  the  Commands  into  Pro- 
mises, and  consequently  this  among  the  rest :  ^Let  this 
mi7id  he  in  You  which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus.^  The  Com- 
mand here  is  equivalent  to  a  Promise,  and  gives  full  reason 
to  expect  that  He  ivill  work  in  us  what  He  requires  of  us.' 

'•  Joy  to  the  World  !  for  our  God  is  victorious, 
Soriow  and  Evil  shall  chain  us  no  more  ; 

Christinn  rejoice  !  for  His  Kingdom  is  glorious, 
And  He  in  His  triumph  Mankind  shall  Restore  !" 


92  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

COMPLETION  OF  THE  AKGUMENT. 

Shall  (he   Lord's  Command  be   Eternally  Disobeyed? 

'I  will  give  you  a  mouth  and  wisdom,  [said  Jesus,]  that 
All  your  Adversaries  shall  not  be  able  to  gainsay  or  Re- 
sist.'— Lnke  xxi.  15.  'Lo!  I  am  witl^you  alway,  even  un- 
to the  end  of  the  world. — And  All  Poioer  is  given  unto  me 
in  heaven  and  in  earth.' — Mat.  xxviii.  18,  19. 

'The  Lord  thy  C!od  will  Circumcise  thy  heart,  to  love  the 
Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  soul,  &c.  and  thou  SHALT  Re- 
turn and  Obey  tlie  voice  of  the  Lord,  and  DO  all  His  Com,' 
mandmcnts.'' — Deut.  xxx.  6—8. 

'I  am  the  Lord  your  God  ;  wherefore  Ye  SHALL  do  My 
S?a^?i?es,  and  Keep  My  judgments,  and  DO  them.' — Lev. 
XXV.   18. 

'The  Law  of  the  Lord  conrerteth  the  said  ;  -  -  the  Com- 
mandment of  the  Lord  enlighteneth  the  eyes.' — Ps.  xix.  7,  8. 

'YE  SHALL  diligently  Keep  the  Commandments  of  the 
Lord  your  God,  and  His  Testimonies  and  His  Statutes 
which  He  hath  Commanded.' — Deut.  vi.  17. 

'He  Sjyahe,  and  it  was  Done  !  ['Let  there  be  lifjht!  and 
there  WAS  light.']  He  Comma7ided,  and  it  STOOD  FAST!' 
Ps.  xxx.  9.  'AH  the  inhabitants  of  the  Earth  are  before 
Him  as  nothing.' — Is.  xl.  22. 

'His  works  are  Verity,  and  ALL  HIS  COMMAND- 
MENTS ARE  SURE!  They  Stand  Fast  Forever 
AND  Ever,  and  are  DONE,  in  truth  and  uprightness.' — 
Ps.  cxi.  7,  8. 

'He  sendeth  forth  His  Comjiandment  upon  the  Earth,  and 
His  Word  runneth  very  sioiftly  !' — Ps.  cxlvii.  15. 

'I  am  the  Lord !  I  will  speak,  and  the  word  that  I  shall 
speak  shall  come  to  pass.' — Ezek.  xii.  25. 

'The  grass  withereth,  and  the  flower  fadeth,  but  the 
Word  of  our  God  endureth  forever!' — Is.  xl.  8. 

'Who  is  he  that  saith  it  [Endless  misery  and  sin,  for  in- 
stance,] Cometh  to  pass,  when  the  Lord  Commandeth  it 
NOT  ? — For  the  Lord  will  not  Cast  Off  forever;  but  though 


REASOMS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  w3 

He  cause  grief,  yet  will  He  have  Compassion,  according  to 
the  multitude  of  His  mercies.  For  He  doth  not  afflict  wil- 
lingly, nor  grieve  the  children  of  men.  To  crush  under  His 
feet  the  Prisoners  of  the  earth, — to  turn  aside  the  right  of 
a  man  from  before  the  face  of  the  Most  High, — to  subvert 
a  man  in  his  cause,  the  Lord  ajrproveth  not.  Out  of  the 
mouth  of  the  Most  High  proceedeth  not  Evil  and  Good.' 
— Lam.  iii.  31—38. 

'Ye  have  viade  TUE  Commandment  of  God  OF  NONE 
EFFECT  by  your  Traditions,  -  -  teaching  for  Boctrines  the 
Commandments  of  Men.' — Mat.  xv.  6,   9. 

Here  v/e  may  appropriately  introduce  the  argument  for 
Universal  Salvation  derived  from  the  Scripture  instructions 
concerning  The  Divine  Law.  This,  of  course,  we  can  on- 
ly do  very  briefly,  in  accordance  with  our  general  plan,  which 
is  simply  to  build  up  the  skeleton  of  the  Scriptural  argu- 
ment for  the  leading  doctrine  of  our  faith,  by  the  exhibi- 
tion of  its  proofs,  principally,  in  as  clear  and  forcible  a  light 
as  possible, — by  such  an  extensive  and  judicious  classifi- 
cation of  Scripture  extracts,  of  so  plain  a  kind  that  they  re- 
quire but  little  or  no  interpretation,  as  to  prove  the  Bible  to 
be  a  Universalist  Book. 

JVhat  is  the  great,  fundamental,  and  all-comprehending 
Law  of  the  Supreme  Being?  We  have  only  to  know  the 
nature  of  that  Being  in  order  to  answer  the  question  at  once, 
and  decisively.  The  Scriptures  declare  Him  to  be  an  Om- 
nipresent Spirit  whose  nature  is  Love.  All  the  qualities 
and  attributes  of  His  nature  are  included  in  that  one  Princi- 
ple ;  Love  is  the  sum,  the  compound  of  them  all,  the  same 
as  light  is  the  essential  nature  of  the  seven  primary  colors 
into  which  it  is  refracted  by  the  prism.  Then  what  is  the 
character  of  the  grand,  universal  Law  which  emanates  from 
the  throne  of  God  and  encircles  the  boundless  universe  in 
its  sway,  what  is  it  but  a  Law  whose  chief  characteristic, 
and  whose  very  nature  is  expressed  in  that  same  word, 
Love  ?  But  we  need  not  reason  on  this  subject,  for  there 
is  ample  Scripture  to  the  very  point.  'Love,'  says  the  A- 
postle,  'is  the  fulfilling  of  the  Law.' — Rom.  xiii.  10.  And 
Again,  'All  the  Law  is  fulfilled  in  this  one  word,   Thou 

F 


94  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

shall  Love  thy  neighbor   as  lhyself.'---Gal.  v.  14.      This 
was  an  allusion  to  the  words  of  Jesus   in  reply  to  the  law- 

ier's  question,  'What  is  the  Great  Commandment  of  the 
law  V    in   which  he  expressed  the    same    truth  :       'Thou 
shalt  Love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and   with 
all   thy  soul,  and  with  all    thy  mind,  -  -  -  and    thou   shalt 
Love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.       On   these   two    Command- 
meyits  hang  all  the  Laiv  and  the  Prophets.'— Mat.  xxii.  36-- 
40.     Now  why  is  the  fulfilment  of  the  Prophecies  dependent 
upon  this  Law  ?     Answer  ;  because  'all  the  holy  Prophets 
since  the  world  began  have  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  God  of 
the  times  of  the  Restitution  of  All   Things,'— Acts.  iii.  25  ; 
which  can  never  be  brought  about  until   God's    Universal 
Law  of  Love  is   universally  recognized  and  obeyed  ;    'for. 
Love  is  the  Fulfilling  of  the  Law.'     All  throughout  the  New 
Testament,  this  same  Divine  Commandment  o(  Love  towards 
God,  as  a  Father,  supremely,  and  of  Love  between  man  and 
man,  as  brethren,  universally,   seems  to  be  the  great  Law 
to  which  the  whole  family  of  the  earth  and  heaven   are  re- 
garded to  be  bound,  and  for  the  fulfilment  of  which  the  im- 
partial love  of  God  has  directed  all  His  purposes,  plans,  and 
pleasure.     Si.  James  calls  it  the  'Royal  Law.'— ii.  8.      St. 
Paul,  'the  Commandment  which   briefly   comprehends    all 
others.'— Rom.  xii.  9.     And  this  'Law  of  the  spirit  of  life  in 
Christ  Jesus,'  he  says,  'frees  us  from  the    Law  of  sin  and 
death.'— Rom.    viii.    2;     and     another    apostle    therefore 
calls  it,  'the  Perfect  Law  of  Liberty.'— Jas.  i.  25.     The  Law 
of  God  is  elsewhere   called  '  Good,'— 1  Tim.  i.  8  ;    'Holy,' 
—Rom.  vii.  12  ;  and  'Perfect,'  because    it   is  efficient   in 
'converting  the  so7il.' — Ps.  xix.  7. 

Having  thus  learned  the  nature  of  God's  eternal  and  im- 
mutable Law  towards  His  intelligent  creation,  already  and 
from  the  heginn'mg  fulfilled  on  His  part,  (for  He  loves  'the 
world,'  yea,  'with  an  everlasting  love,'  from  which  'nothing 
can  separate'  it,)  but  yet  unfulfilled  on  the  part  of  His  crea- 
tures, we  have  next  to  inquire  whether  this  T^ivine  Law, 
whose  great  requirement  is,  that  all  souls  shall  ultimately  be 
knit  together  in  the  inseparable  ties  of  inter-mutual,  uni- 
versal love,  and  that  the  love  of  the  Father  of  spirits  towards 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  95 

all  shall  be  felt  and  returned  by  all, — whether  the  Divine 
Law  which  has  this  ineffable  requirement,  shall  ever  be  ful- 
filled?  The  popular  theology  which  talks  so  much  oi  the 
Tvecessity  of  a  full  satisfaction  of  the  Laiv,  teaches  a  very 
different  fulfilment  of  the  Law  of  God,  indeed,  from  that 
which  we  shall  find  in  the  Scriptures.  Acknowledging 
the  Divine  Law  to  require  of  mankind  a  universal  homage 
to  their  Maker,  and  universal  love  among  themselves,  yet 
this  requirement,  it  teaches,  can  never  be  fulfilled.  And 
why  ?  Because,  forsooth,  the  Law  must  be  satisfied.  Why, 
then,  the  Law  loill  be  fulfilled,  of  course,  if  it  is  ever  satis- 
fiedr—h^ow  is  this?  Why,  the  penalty  for  the  trails  grcssion 
of  God's  Laio  is  Endless  Misery,  says  'orthodoxy,'  the  Law 
has  been  broken,  the  penalty  incurred,  and  the  Law  must 
have  satisfaction.  Now,  we  would  answer  this  by  asking 
a  few  plain  questions :  Can  the  Law  of  the  Lord, 
which,  as  you  confess,  demands  the  universal  obedience  and 
love  of  Mankind,  ever  be  satisfied  ox  fulfilled  in  the  endless 
perpetuation  of  myriads  in  disobedience,  hate,  and  suffer- 
ing ?  Is  that  Law  a  '■FerfecV  one  which  demands  of  the 
same  creatures,  their  love  and  confidence  toward  God  with 
all  their  strength,  and  at  the  same  time,  their  everlasting 
enmity  and  wretchedness  ?  Can  that  Law  be  mighty  in  the 
'■converting  of  the  souV  if  the  penalty  of  its  transgression  is 
such  as  to  destroy  its  own  purposes,  and  to  build  up,  mag- 
nify, and  eternalize  the  very  calamities  it  was  designed  to 
remedy  ?  Does  not  your  doctrine  imply  that  Revenge, 
Endless  woe,  and  not  Love,  is  'the  Fulfilling  of  the  Law? 
And  does  it  not  also  contradict  that  oft-repeated  teaching  of 
the  sacred  word  that '5?/  the  deeds  of  the  Law,  no  flesh  can 
be  justified  in  His  sight  V — Rom.  iii.  20  ;  Gal.  ii.  16  ;  iii.  IL 
And,  why,  if  the  Law  demands  those  two  opposite  ways  of 
being  satisfied,  shall  it  not  rather  prefer  to  have  the  satisfac- 
tion it  requires,  from  its  universal  obedience,  and  not  from 
its  eternal /rzw^ra^ioTi.?  And  if  it  be  so  imperative  that  the 
Law  must  be  satisfied,  and  in  the  awful  rather  than  the  bles- 
sed way,  why  shall  not  the  penalty  be  universally  inflicted, 
seeing  that  it  is  universally  incurred  ?  If  it  be  said  that  the 
Saviour  suffered  the  infinite  misery  which  was  due  to  all  the 


96  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

redeemed,  then  we  ask  whether  the  Divine  Law  be  di^Justy 
a  'Ptire,''  a  'True,''  a  '■Holy,''  a.  'Good'  one,  as  the  Scriptures 
say,  if  it  could  be  reconciled  and  satisfied  with  the  sufferings 
of  an  Innocent  being,  in  substitution  for  the  Guihy?  And 
to  speak  of  the  Divine  Law  at  all  as  demanding  'Satisfac- 
tion,' that  is,  useless,  malicious,  vengeful  redress,  is  it  not 
the  same  as  to  attribute  to  that  Law  a  host  of  human  im- 
perfections, and  to  compare  the  merciful  Deity  to  bloodthirs- 
ty, implacable,  capricious  Neros  and  Borgias  ?  Besides, 
the  sajnngthat  endless  torments  is  the  threatened  penalty 
which  God  has  alTixed  to  the  transgression  of  His  Law, 
is  entirely  assumed.  There  is  not  a  word  of  Scripture  for 
it.  Did  He  pronounce  such  a  penally  at  the  solemn  charge 
He  gave  to  the  First  Parents,  not  to  taste  the  fruit  of  the 
tree  of  knowledge  ?  or  even  after  their  sinning?  Was  the 
doom  of  everlasting  wo  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  as 
the  recompense  of  disobedience  amid  the  thunderings  of  Si- 
nai, when  the  tables  of  the  eternal.  Moral  Law  were  solemn- 
ly committed  to  the  Lawgiver  of  the  nations?  Surely  it 
would  have  been  uttered  then,  were  it  ever  to  be.  Conjoined 
with  any  of  the  numerous  repetitions  of  the  commandments, 
or  of  parts  of  them  which  are  written  in  the  books  of  the 
Prophets,  of  the  Wise  Man,  or  of  the  Psalmist,  is  the 
infliction  of  immortal  agonies  ever  to  be  found  ?  When 
the  Son  of  Man  came  down  from  heaven  to  declare  the 
counsels  and  the  purposes  of  his  Father,  did  He  lift  up 
his  earnest  voice  and  proclaim,  'Such  and  such  things 
are  Commanded  in  My  Father's  Law,  and  such  which,  I 
show  unto  you,  are  forbidden  ;  Choose  ye,  O  sons  of 
Earth  and  Lnmortality,  which  ye  will  perform !  For  ye 
are  free,  indeed,  and  trust  ye  not  that  the  Lord  will  pity  or 
help  though  millions  of  you  foolishly  plunge  yourselves 
in  the  bottomless  abyss  of  perdition  he  hath  prepared  for 
you  !  Behold,  I  offer  you  everlasting  glory  and  holiness, 
as  the  reward  of  constant  obedience  to  the  Law  which  I 
declare  unto  you,  (though  I  forewarn  you  that  the  ways 
of  wisdom  in  this  world  are  not  ways  of  pleasantness 
and  peace,  but  of  constant  mortification,  and  sorrow  of 
heart,  and  frequently  of  especial    afflictions   and    calami- 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  97 

ties.)  But  verily  I  say  unio  you,  that  except  ye  observe 
and  keep  all  the  statutes  and  all  the  Commandments  of 
the  Law  of  the  Lord  your  God,  to  do  them,  ye  shall 
surely  be  revivified  and  awakened  in  the  world  to  come, 
to  unspeakable,  deathless,  hopeless  misery,  in  a  region 
where  ye  shall  be  deprived  of  your  power  of  obedience, 
world  without  end  !  Be  not  deceived ;  the  way  of  the 
transgressor  is  easy,  and  the  happiest  here,  but—Endless 
Perdition  to  the  Wicked !  Behold  I  shew  unto  you  the 
Reward  and  the  Penalty  !  Everlasting  Life  to  the  Good ! 
Everlasting  Death  to  the  Evil!'  Are  there  to  be  found  in 
all  the  discourses  of  our  Saviour,  any  such  teaching  as  this  ? 
Nay,  you  will  not  pretend  it.  Or  did  any  of  the  Apos- 
tles, in  their  various  statements  of  the  Divine  Law,  or  in  any 
of  their  writings  upon  the  subject,  ever  intimate  that  the 
unmerciful  penalty  of  eternal  woe  had  been  affixed  to  its 
violation,  or  any  other  penalty  which  is  inconsistent  with 
its  ultimate  universal  obedience  ?  We  shall  soon  be  con- 
vinced, on  the  contrary,  we  think,  that  the  sacred  writers 
have  confidently  believed  in  the  final  complete  Fulfilment 
of  the  Law  of  God. 

Whether  the  testimony  of  the  Prophet  in  one  of  those 
beautiful  chapters  concerning  the  glory  and  triumph  of  the 
mission  of  the  Messiah,  that  'The  Lord  roill  Magnify  His 
Law,  and  make  it  Honorable,''  i.  e.  to  be  Honored r--^^^-  xli. 
21, whether  the  eye  of  inspiration  was  here  directed  to  the  pe- 
riod when  'the  vail  of  the  covering  that  is  cast  over  All  Peo- 
ple shall  be  removed,  and  tears  shall  be  wiped  from  oflf  All 
Faces,'  when  'All  shall  know  the  Lord  from  the  least  unto 
the  greatest,'  when  'AH  People  shall  be  turned  to  the  Lord 
to  serve  Him  with  one  consent,'  we  shall  not  attempt  to  dis- 
cuss. We  would  rather  rest  the  decision  of  the  question 
we  are  considering  upon  one,  plain,  unambiguous  declaration 
of  the  Divine  Teacher.  What  language  could  be  more 
conclusive,  candid  reader,  than  this?  '■Verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  [said  Jesus,]  till  Heaven  and  Earth  pass,  [or,  Heaven 
and  Earth  can  sooner  pass,]  one  jot  or  tittle  shall  in  no 
WISE  PASS  FROM  The  Law,  [the  eternal  Moral  Law, — 'the 
Commandments,'  verse  19,]  till  ALL  be  Fulfilled.' — Mat. 


WS  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE, 

V.  18.  St.  Luke  records  tlie  same  speech  of  our  Lord,  in* 
the  following-  language  :  '//  is  easier  for  Heaven  and 
Earth  to  pass,  than  for  One  Tittle  of  the  Law  to  fail.' 
— xvi.  17.  Here  we  might  rest,  and  safely  permit  the  sub- 
ject to  stand,  settled,  we  think,  and  immutable,  as  the  Rock 
of  Ages,  upon  the  strong  ramparts  by  which  it  is  sustained 
in  the  scriptures  we  have  already  exhibited.  Why  then 
should  we  point  to  our  former  arguments,  concerning  the 
Disposition,  the  Purpose,  the  Will,  the  Promise  and  the  very 
Oath  of  God  for  the  Salvation  of  the  Universe,  in  confirma- 
tion of  the  sublime  truth  to  which  we  have  here  arrived? 
For  the  mind  that  would  obstinately  set  itself  against  the 
force  of  evidences  so  clear  and  strong,  would  not  scruple  to 
discredit  the  very  Oath  of  Jehovah,  and  yet  to  disbelieve 
'though  one  should  rise  trom  the  dead  !'  Would  it  be  of 
any  avail  to  point  such  an  one,  who  should  persist  in  be- 
lieving in  the  eternal  reign  of  evil  and  disobedience  to  the 
Law  of  God,  to  those  mighty  words  of  the  Lord  of  Power 
and  Truth,  ^ I  will  Put  MY  LAW  in  the  inward  parts, 
and  Write  it  in  the  Hearts^  [of  those  who  were  not  My  Peo- 
ple,] that  ALL  shall  knoiv  Me,  from  the  Least  to  the  Grea- 
test V  With  those  Avho  doubt  that  the  Divine  Spirit  is  the 
Sovereign  of  the  human  soul,  it  is  of  no  consequence  to  urge 
upon  them  this  great,  recorded  Purpose  of  the  Almighty  to 
stamp  the  impress  of  His  oAvn  Spirit  upon  ours,  to  print  His 
holy  Law  upon  the  hearts,  and  engrave  it  upon  the  minds, 
of  All  His  People,  blotting  out  the  deep-dyed  crimson  stains 
of  their  iniquities  forevermore. — Heb.  viii.  10—16.  But  we 
shall  here  leave  this  part  of  our  subject,  to  answer  this  'free 
agency'  objection  which  here  arises,  by  itself,  and  shall 
thereby,  we  think,  deduce  an  additional  measure  of  strength 
to  the  irrefragible  position  at  which  we  are  planted. 

•'The  Ransom'cl  of  ihe  Lord  shall  come  to  Zion's  holy  hill, 
And  songs  of  praise  and  shouts  of  joy  the  heav'iily  courts  shall  fill  ; 
And  Every  Knee  shall  how  to  God,  and  Every  Tongue  confess, 
That  God,  the  Lord,  their  Helper  is,  their  strength  and  righteousness." 

Mrs.  J.  H.  Scott. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  99 


OBJECTION. 


The  Commandments  of  the  Lord,  in  consequence  of  the  inviola- 
ble liberty  of  our  choice  of  evil  or  good,  happiness  or  misery, 
are  never  accompanied  with  the  means  of  enforcing  their  obedience, 
no  more  than  human  commands  are,  and  therefore  only  appeal  to 
us  as  exhortations  or  entreaties  to  holiness  and  life  eternal. 

ANSWER. 

'I  said  not  unto  the  seed  of  Jacob,  [saith  the  word  of  the 
Lord,]  Seek  Ye  Me,  IN  VAIN  !  I,  the  Lord  speak 
Righteousness  !  I  declare  things  that  are  Right  !' — Isa.  xlv. 
9.  °  The  Only  Wise  makes  no  unreasonable,  or  useless,  or 
vain  Commands ;  none  which  He  might  foresee  shall  not 
be  obeyed,  or  which  He  were  not  able  to  carry  out,  and 
none  which  were  not  absolutely  necessary  to  be  enforced  to 
the  accomplishment  of  His  Purposes.  Consequently,  'AU 
His  Commandments  are  STJ RE  P  And  His  Command- 
ment, therefore,  upon  All  Men,  to  turn  unto  Him  and  live, 
will  surely  'stand  fast  forever  and  ever,  and  be  DONE,  in 
truth  and  uprightness.'  For  He  does  not  Command  the 
weak  children  of  humanity  to  Seek  Him  in  vain. 

'I  will  Give  them  One  Heart,  and  I  will  Put  a  Neiv  Spir- 
it whh'm  You  ;  and  I  will  Take  the  stony  heart  out  of  their 
flesh,  and  will  Give  them  a  heart  of  flesh  ;  That  they  may 
walk  in  My  Statutes,  and  Keep  My  Ordinances,  and  BO 
them:—EzQk.  xi.  19,  20. 

'Because  thy  rage  and  thy  tumult  is  come  up  into  Mine 
ears,  therefore  I  will  put  My  hook  in  their  nose,  and  My  bri- 
dle in  thy  lips,  and  I  will  Turn  thee  back  by  the  way 
BY  WHICH  THOU  CAMEST.' — 2  Kings,  xix.  28. 

'I  will  Put  ]My  fear  [filial  reverence]  in  their  hearts,  that 
they  shall  not  depart  from  Me.' — Jer.  xxxii,  40. 

'From  the  place  of  His  habitation.  He  looketh  upon  All 
the  Inhabitants  of  the  Earth,  and  [gradually,  invisibly,  mys- 
lenous\y,]fashioneth  their  hearts  ALIKE.' — Ps.  xxiii.  14,  15, 

'0,  Lord  God  of  our  Fathers,  art  not  Thou  God  in  Heav- 


dPO  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

en?  And  rulest  not  Thou  over  All  ihe  kingdoms  of  the 
heathen  ?  And  in  Thy  hand  is  there  not  Power  and  INIight 
so  that  No?ie  is  able  to  ivithsland  TheeV — 2  Chron.  xx.  6. 

We  would  conclude  our  argument  for  Universal  Salva- 
tion derived  from  the  Commands  and  the  Moral  Law  of  God, 
which  we  have  attempted  to  show  shall  ulliuiately  be  uni- 
versally fulfilled,  by  quoting  the  following  passage  from  a 
discourse  by  John  \Vesley,  on  'The  Perfection  of  Mankind  :' 

"When  the  Apostle  says  to  the  Ephesians,  'Ye  have 
been  taught,  as  thk  truth  IS,  in  Jesus, to  be  renewed  in  the 
spirit  of  your  mind,  and  to  put  on  the  new  man,  which  is 
created  after  the  image  of  God,  in  righteousness  and  true 
holiness,'  he  leaves  us  no  room  to  doubt  that  God  will  thv^ 
reneio  us  in  the  spirit  of  our  minds,  and  create  tis  aneiv  in 
the  image  of  God,  wherein  we  were  first  created.  Other- 
wise it  could  not  be  said  that  this  IS  the  truth,  as  it  IS,  in 
[or  through]  Christ  Jesus.  And  the  Command  of  God  giv- 
en by  St.  Peter,  'Be  Ye  holy,  as  He  that  hath  called  you  is 
Holy,'  implies  a  Promise  that  We  shall  he  thus  holy.  As 
God  has  called  us  to  holiness,  He  is  undoubtedly  willing, 
as  well  as  able  to  work  this  holiness  in  us.  For  He  cannot 
mock  His  helpless  Creatures,  calling  upon  them  to  receive 
what  He  never  intends  to  Give." 

•'In  Thy  hand  is  every  spirit. 
And  the  meed  the  same  may  merit, 
All  which  all  tlie  worlds  inherit, 

Thine  ! 
'Tis  not  to  thy  creatures  giv'n 
To  scale  the  lofty  ways  of  Heav'n — 

Al way  just  and  kind  ; 
But,  before  Thy  miahty  breath. 
Life,  and  Spirit,  Dust,  and  Death, — 
The  boundless  All  is  driv'n, 

Like  clouds  by  wind  !" — Festus. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  101 


PROPOSITION  EIGHTH. 

It  is  the  PLEASURE  of  the  Father  Almighty,  that  All 
Souls  shall  Ultimately  be  Purified  and  Gathered 
to  Himself. 

PROOFS. POSITIVE. 

'According  to  HIS  GOOD  PLEASURE,  -  -  That  in  the 
Dispensation  of  the  Fuhiess  of  Times,  He  might  Gather 
Together  in  One,  All  Things,  in  Christ,  both  which  are 
in  heaven  and  on  earth.' — Eph.  i.  9—11. 

'It  PLEASED  the  Father  that  in  Christ  should  All 
Fulness  dwell ;  and,  having- made  Peace  by  the  blood  of 
his  cross,  by  him  to  Reconcile  All  Things  to  Himself, 
whether  Things  on  Earth  or  Things  in  Heaven.' — Col.  i. 
19.  20. 

The  following  passage,  we  tliink,  may  very  justly  be  con- 
sidered a  parallel  of  this  class  of  scriptures,  and  confirmatory 
of  our  Proposition  :  'He  REJOICETH  more  over  that 
sheep  which  he  sought  and  found,  than  over  the  ninety  and 
nine  which  went  not  astray.' — Mat.  xviii.  14.  Is  it  not  the 
obvious  design  of  these  parabolic  words,  to  teach  us  the 
Good  Pleasure  of  the  Heavenly  Father  in  the  Salvation  of 
the  Erring, — of  the  very  last  of  them  ?  In  the  next  section 
we  shall  see  that  the  Scriptures  know  of  no  such  thing  that 
the  Lord  shall  ever  cease  to  have  Pleasure  in,  and  Rejoice 
over,  all  the  children  of  His  creation  and  care. 

'I  know  also,  my  God,  that  Thou  HAST  PLEASURE 
in  Uprightness.' — 1  Chron.  xxix.  17.  'For  the  Righteous 
Lord  loveth  Righteousness.' — Ps.  xi.  7.  Can  it  easily  be 
inferred  from  such  passages  as  these,  that  God  shall  be  en- 
tirely well  Pleased  and  reconciled  to  have  'the  throne  of 
Iniquity  built  up  forever,'  possessing  an  unbounded  sway 
over  a  mighty  universe  of  its  own,  where  countless  millions 
of  His  children  shall  be  eternally  held  captive  ?  And 
should  heaven  be  a  place  of  Pleasure  and  Rejoicing,   when 

6 


USB  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

SO  vast  a  proportion  of  the  Universal  Family  were  dragging 
out  the  immortality  of  their  being,  in  insupportable  miseries, 
beneath  it  ? 

'The  Lord  DELIGHTETH  in  Mercy.'— Mkah  vii.  18. 
And  'His  tender  Mercy  is  over  All  His  Works,'  and  'En- 
dureth  Forever.'  There  could  not  be  a  stronger  proof  of  any 
proposition,  than  this,  of  the  one  we  have  in  hand. 

'The  Lord  TAKETH  PLEASURE  in  His  People.'— Ps. 
cxlix.  4. 

'Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  Glory,  Honor,  and 
Power,  for  Thou  hast  Created  All  Things,  and  for  THY 
PLEASURE  they  are,  and  were  created.' — Rev.  iv.  IL 

NEGATIVE. 

'Have  I  ANY  PLEASURE  AT  ALL,  saith  the  Lord, 
that  the  Wicked  shall  die  ?  and  NOT  that  he  should  return 
from  his  ways  and  live  ?  [that  is,  that  the  moral  death  of 
the  wicked,  which,  in  fact,  'has  passed  upon  all  men,'  for  'in 
Adam  all  die,'  should  be  total,  and  perpetual  ?  Is  it  My 
Pleasure  that  because  a  man  becomes  wicked,  he  should  re- 
main so,  and  not  be  redeemed  from  his  sinful  propensities, 
that  he  should  never  be  turned  from  his  evil  ways  and  live  .?] 
— Ezek.  xviii.  23. 

'I  HAVE  NO  PLEASURE  in  the  death  of  him  that 
dieth,  saith  the  Lord.' — Ezek.  /viii.  22.  It  is  not  consistent 
with  the  Lord's  goodness  that  He  should  derive  any  Plea- 
sure or  gratification  from  what  is  evil,  for  its  own  sake, 
though  we  cannot  doubt  that  the  transient  existence  of  evil, 
in  view  of  its  glorious  results,  is  in  entire  accordance  with 
the  Good  Pleasure  and  the  Supreme  Will  of  the  Almighty. 
Thus,  although  we  are  not  at  liberty  to  believe  that  the  tem- 
porary and  universal  sinfulness  and  moral  death  of  Mankind 
are  contrary  to  God's  Pleasure,  we  are  at  the  same  time 
forbidden  to  think  that  it  is  the  Evil  He  delights  in,  and  that 
He  will  perpetuate  it,  but  the  illustrious  End  to  be  attained 
through  its  means. 

'As  I  Live,  saith  the  Lord  God,  I  HAVE  NO  PLEA- 
SURE in  the  death  of  the  wdcked  ;  but  [it  is  My  Pleasure'] 
that  the  Wicked  turn  from  his  evil  way  and  live.' — Ezek. 
xxxiii.  11.     We  could  not  wish  for  a  more  explicit  Scrip- 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  103 

ture  testimony  to  the  Pleasure  of  the  Lord  for  Universal 
Redemption,  than  this.  Yet,  while  the  Calvinist  repudiates 
the  doctrine  of  all  such  passages,  and  the  Arminian  zealously 
contends  for  it,  both  agree  that  no  such  Pleasure  of  the  Fa- 
ther of  Mankind  can  ever  be  realized.  We  shall  see  in  the 
next  section  how  far  the  Universalist  is  in  the  Avrong  in  be- 
lieving in  the  Om7iipotence  of  the  Divine  Pleasure. 

'Is  it  A  PLEASURE  for  Thee  to  Oppress,  or  to  Des- 
pise  the  Work  of  Thy  hands  V — Job  x.  3.  'The  Lord  doth 
NOT  afflict  willingly,  nor  grieve  [aggravate,  expand.,  be- 
yond necessity,  the  evils  of]  the  children  of  men.'  'God  is 
great,  and  Despisest  not  anij.'' 

'Thou  art  not  a  God  that  HATH  PLEASURE  in  wick- 
edness, neither  shall  Evil,  [absolute,  total,  infinite,  final,] 
dwell  w'iih.  Thee.  The  foolish  shall  not  stand  [endure']  in 
Thy  sight.'— Ps.  v.  4. 

"Nor  life,  nor  death,  from  His  rich  love  can  sever, — 
His  by  creation, — His  in  free  redemption  ! 
Ail  shall  be  bless'd,  each  kindred,  tongue  and  people. 
And  sing  His  glorious  praises,  shouting.  Holy,  Holy 

Lord  God  Almighty  !" 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  ARGUMENT. 

Shall  the  Pleasure  of  the  Lord  be  Consummated  1 

'As  the  rain  cometh  down,  and  the  snow  from  heaven, 
and  returneth  not  thither,  but  waterelh  the  earth,  and  mak- 
eth  it  bring  forth  and  bud,  that  it  may  give  seed  to  the  sower 
and  bread  to  the  eater :  SO  shall  My  loord  be  that  goeth 
forth  out  of  My  mouth  ;  it  shall  not  return  tinto  me  VOID, 

BUT  IT  SHALL  ACCOJIPLISH  THAT  WHICH     I    PLEASE,  AND  It 

SHALL  Prosper  in  the  thing  whereunto  I  sent  it.' — Isa. 

Iv.  10. 

'My  Counsel  shall  Stand,  and  I  WILL  DO  ALL  MY 
PLEASURE.'— Isa.  xlvi.  10. 

'THE  PLEASURE  of  the  Lord  shall  Prosper  in  his 
[Chrisfs]  HANDS.' — Is.  liii.  10. 

'Thus  saith  the  Lord,  that  saith  of  Cyrus,    [Christ,   the 


104  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

Messiah,]  he  in  Mi)  Shepherd, — he  shall   Perform   ALL 
MY  PLEASURE  !'— Isa.  xliv.  28. 
'GOD  DOETH  WHATSOEVER  PLEASETH  HIM.' 

— Eccl.  viii.  3. 

'Whatsoever  THE  Lord  PLEASED,  that  DID  He,  in 
Heaven,  and  in  Earth,  and  in  the  Sea,  and  in  all  deep  pla- 
ces,'— Ps.  cxxxv.  6  ;  cxv.  3;  Jonah,  i.  14. 

'I  will  REJOICE  and  JOY  in  Mv  People.'— Is.  Ixv.  19. 
'The  Lord  shall  REJOICE  in  His  Works:— ?s.  civ.  3L 

'The  Lord  thy  God  in  the  midst  of  thee  is  Mighty  ;  He 
will  Save.  He  will  REJOICE  over  thee  with  joy  ; 
He  ivill  Rest  in  His  love  ;  He  will  JOY  over  thee  with 
singing.' — Zeph.  iii.  17. 

'As  the  Bridegroom  Rejoiceth  over  the  Bride,  so  shall 
thy  God  REJOICE  over  thee,'— ha.  Ixii.  5. 

'Wherefore,  [wrote  the  Apostle,]  we  pray  always  ^Aa^  OMr 
God  would  Fulfil  All  the  GOOD  PLEASURE  of  His 
Goodness,  and  the  works  of  Faith  with  Power,  that  the 
name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  may  be  Glorified,  and  ye 
in  him,  accordino-  to  the  Grace  of  our  God,  and  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.'— 2  Thess.  i.  11,  12. 

"Lord    of  Life  and  Glory, 

Infiiiile  ill  Povv'r, 
In  rigiiteoiisness  before  tliee, 

Shall  all  mankind  adore. 
0,  Thou  whoso  glorious  Pleasure, 

Is  full  of  truth  and  love, 
Thy  Might's  unbounded  measure, 

Shall  ultiniately  prove. 

Author    of    Creation  ! 

When  the  worlds  were  done. 
Shouts    of    exultation, 

Echo'd  round  thy  throne. 
Author    of    Salvation  ! 

Haste  Thy  glorious  day 
When   from  Thy  vast  creation 

Bursts  a  universal  lay  !" 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  105 


Objection. 

God  will  not  gratify  His  Pleasure  at  the  expense  of  Mis  Justice, 
which  demands  everlastina  tormenl  to  the  vMcked  ;  neither  can 
He,  so  long  as  the  nature  of  man  is  as  He  has  made  it,  free  to  go 
as  far  beyond  His  Pleasure  aa  he  chooses.  But  when  we  make 
ourselves^<  to  be  saved,  then  He  will  have  mercy  upon  us,  and 
fulfils  His  Pleasure  in  us. 


'God  worlceth  in  You,  both  to  Will  and  to  do  q/"  HIS 
GOOD  PLEASURE.'— Phil.  ii.  13. 

'The  God  of  Peace  Make  yon  perfect  in  every  good -work, 
to  do  His  Will,  Working  in  You  that  which  is  WELL- 
PLEASING  in  His  sight.'— Heb.  xiii.  21. 

'The  king's  heart  is  in  the  hand  of  the  Lord,  and  as  the 
rivers  of  water  are  turned,  He  tiirneth  it  uhithersoever  He 
will.' — Prov.  xxi.  1. 

'The  preparation  of  the  heart  in  man  is  from  the  Lord.' — 
Prov.  xvi.  1. 

'The  steps  of  a  man  are  ordered  by  the  Lord.' — Ps. 
ixxvii.  23. 

The  Divine  Omnipotence  and  Goodness  are  indeed  the 
only  solid  grounds  of  our  Hope  of  eternal  happiness,  and 
not  anything  in  or  beyond  our  own  power  to  accomplish 
short  of  the  mighty  efficiency  of  those  attributes.  Can  we 
alone,  creatures  of  dust  and  nought,  advance  one  single 
step  towards  the  attainment  of  the  heavenly  throne  ?  Stand 
still  in  thy  place,  O  Man,  hold  that  ceaseless  breath,  and 
consider  what  thou  art !  Mark  the  incessancy  of  thy  de- 
pendence upon  some  invisible  sustaining  Power,  beyond 
the  narrow  limits  of  thy  puny  frame,  and  let  the  weighty 
truth  cause  thee  to  sink  down  beneath  an  overwhelmning 
flood  of  reverence,  into  the  shallow  insignificance  of  thy  be- 
ing !  And  yet  it  is  thou,  who  of  thyself  cannot  gratify  one 
small  desire,  nor  preserve  for  one  instant  thy  existence,  who 
boastest  of  thy  self-invested  power,  and  talkest  of  foiling 
the  lofty  Will  and  the  omnipotent  Pleasure  of  the  God  that 
fashioned  thee,  in  whom  thou  livest  and  movest !      'What 


106  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

hast  thou  which  thou  didst  not  also  receive?'  And  has 
the  Most  High  resigned  to  thee  His  Superior  power  and 
received  thine  inferior,  thy  dependent,  instead,  that  thou 
shouldst  so  valiantly  prevail,  and  He  so  submissively  yield? 
Go  to,  now  ;  determine  thou  in  thy  heart  to  lift  up  thy  hand 
against  a  brother  to  take  his  life.  Fix  well  thy  purpose, 
let  thy  steel  be  keen  and  heavy,  and  ponder  the  deadly  aim. 
But  liark  !  The  God  of  that  man  and  of  you  has  resolved 
that  the  life  shall  be  prolonged,  that  the  deed  of  violence 
shall  not  be  done.  This  is  His  fixed  Pleasure,  His  abso- 
lute, determinate  Will,  be  thou  forewarned, — now,  thinkest 
thou  to  succeed  in  thy  design, under  circumstances  like  these? 
Is  not  thy  breath  and  thy  pulse  in  His  hand,  and  could  He 
not  on  the  instant,  to  prevent  the  baffling  of  His  "Will,  trans- 
fix ye  a  lifeless  statue  to  the  earth,  an  everlasting  monument 
of  desperate  presumption  ?  Yet  be  assured  of  this  one  fact, 
that  thy  life  is  not  more  entirely  in  the  power  of  thy  God, 
than  thy  affections,  thy  thoughts,  and  thy  doings  ! 

"Despite  of  sin, 
The  world  may  recognise  in  all  time's  scenes. 
Though  belts  of  clouds  bar  half  its  burning  disk, 
The  overruling,  overthrowing  Pow'r, 
Which  by  our  creature  Purposes  works  out 
Its  deeds,  and  by  our  deeds,  its  Purposes." 


PROPOSITION  NINTH. 

It  was  the  Express  OBJECT  OF  CHRIST'S  MISSION, 
To  commence  the  Work  of  Universal  Regeneration  and 
Destruction  of  Evil,  To  accomplish  the  Divine  Will, 
and  Fulfil  the  Promise  of  the  Ancient  Covenant. 


'The  Son  of  Man  is  come,  To  Save  that  which  was  Lost.' 
— Mat.  xviii.  11. 

'  To  SEEK  a7id  to  Save  that  which  was  Lost.^  [Mark  the 
uniform  expression,  'WAS  lost,'  not  shall  be,  in  eternity, 
as  the  Endless  Misery  Doctrine  would  have  it.] — Luke, 
xix.  10  ;  Ezekiel,  xxxiv.  16. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  107 

'Not  to  Destroy  men's  lives,   but  to  Save    them. '---Luke 
ix.  56. 

'Not  to  condemn  [damri]  the  world,  but  that  the  World 
through  him  might  be  Saved. ^—io\\x\,  iii.  17. 

'To  Save  the  World. — John  xii-  47. 

'To  BE  THE  Saviour  of  the  World.' — 1  John  iv.  14. 

'To  be  the  Life  of  the  World.' — John  viii.  24. 

'To  takeaway  our   Sins.'' — 1  John  iii.  5. 

'To  Save  His  People  from  [an  endless  hell  ?]  their  Sins.' 
—Mat.  i.  21. 

'To  give  himself/or  07ir  Sins,  and  To  deliver  us  from  [a 
Future^  this  present  Evil  World.^ — Gal.  i.  4. 

'To  be  a  Propitiation,  and  to  declare  the  righteousness  of 
God  for  the  remission  of  sins   that  are  past.' — Rom.  iv.  26. 

'  To  make  Reconciliation  for  the  Sins  of  the  People.' — 
Heb.  ii.  17. 

'To  Bless  You,  by  turning  away  Every  One  of  You  from 
his  Iniquities.' — Acts  iii.  26. 

'To  save  Sinners,  and  the  very  chief  of  them.' — 2  Tim. 
i.  15. 

'To  call  Sinners,  and  7iot  the  Righteous,  [if,  indeed, 
there  are  such,]  to  Repentance,  and  To  heal  those  who 
have  need  of  a  Physician.' — Mat.  ix.  12,  &c. 

'To  GIVE  [not  sell,  nor  offer,]  Repentance  and  Remission 
of  Sins.'— Acts  v.  31. 

'To  Destroy  Death,  [the  great  moral  death  which  was 
introduced  by  Adam,  v\rhich  all  have  died,]  and  him  that 
hath  the  power  of  Death,  that  is,  the  Devil,'  [Temptation, 
the  Evil  Principle,  personified.] — Heb.  ii.  14. 

'To  Destroy  the  Works  of  the  Devil.' — 1  John  iii.  8. 
[What  are  'the  works  of  the  Devil,'  the  offspring  of  the  far- 
pervading  spirit  of  evil?  Sin  and  temptation,  sorrow  and 
pain,  ignorance  and  error.] 

'To  Put  away  Sin.'— Heb.  ix.  26. 

'To  Finish  Transgressions.' — Dan.  ix.  24. 

'To  Make  an  End  of  SIns.'— Dan.  ix.  24. 

'  To  make  Reconciliation  for  Iniquity,  and  To  bring  in 
Everlasting  Righteousness.' — Dan  ix.  24. 

'  To  Reconcile  All  Things  to  himself— Col  i.  20. 


1C|8  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

'That  he  might  Give  Eternal  Life  to  all  that  the  Father 
had  given  him,'— viz:   'All  Flesh.''— John  xvii.  2. 

'To  do  the  Will  of  God.' — John  iv,  38,  viz:  'To  lose 
NOTHING  of  All  the  Father  had  given  hiin,'  ['All  Things.'] 
—John  vi.  3S. 

'To  be  a  Covenant  of  The  People,  for  a  light  of  the  Gen- 
tiles, [unhelieveis,] — To  bring  out  the  Prisoners  from  the 
Prison,— To  proclaim  Deliverance  to  the  Captives.' — Isa. 
xlii.  7  ;  Ixi.  1  ;  Luke  iv.  IS. 

'  To  Perform  the  Mercy  Promised  to  our  Fathers.' — Luke 
i.  72. 

'To  guide  our  feet  into  the  way  of  Peace.' — Luke  i.  79. 

Another  object  of  the  Redeemer's  mission,  was,  to  reveal 
and  be  a  witness  of,  the  great  truths  relating  to  thg  character 
and  purposes  of  God.  'To  this  end  was  1  born,'  said  he, 
'and  for  this  cause  came  I  into  the  world,  that  I  might  hear 
witness  to  the  truth.' — John  xviii.  37.  He  did  not  come  to 
create  any  new  truths.  The  office  of  a  witness  is  not  to 
ma,ke  truth,  hut  to  testify  to  what  is  already  true.  Thus,  we 
cannot  suppose,  for  example,  that  he  came  to  make  it  true 
of  God  that  He  'loved  the  world,'  His  'enemies,'  and  was 
good,  merciful,  and  kind,  'to  the  unthankful  and  the  evil,' — 
or  to  accomplish  anything  by  which  it  loould  be  true  that 
God  were  the  Father  and  Friend  of  any  of  His  creatures. 
These  were  actual,  eternal  truths  before  they  were  revealed, 
and  whether  they  were  revealed  or  not  ;  if  they  had  nx)t 
been,  the  testimony  of  Christ  could  not  have  made  them  so. 
But  of  these  divine  and  glorious  truths  men  were  pitifully 
ignorant,  and  were  'without  hope  and  without  God  in  the 
world.'  They  were  almost  wholly  unlearned  even  of  the  ex- 
istence of  a  Supreme  Spirit,  and  there  was  no  blessed  filial 
confidence  in  the  goodness  and  protecting  care  of  a  heavenly 
Parent.  Man  was  the  creature  of  fear  and  superstition,  and 
was  moved  to  deeds  of  shocking  desperation,  in  hopes  of 
propitiating  the  imagined  terrors,  and  of  buying  the  favor, 
of  his  gods.  But  Messias  came  a  witness  'faithful  and 
true,'  to  exhibit  the  resplendent  truths  of  the  kingdom,  'as 
they  were  in  the  beginning,   are  now,   and  ever   shall  be, 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  109 

world  without  end.'  "He  revealed  to  a  wondering  world 
the  cliaracter  of  God  as  the  Friend  and  Father,  who  fed  the 
fowl^aftlie  air,  decked  the  lillies  of  the  field,  and  watched 
the  fiflling  sparrow,  and  who  would  more  abundantly  take 
eare  of  the  children  of  men,  the  noblest  works  of  his  hand. 
He  also  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light,  and  bore  his 
testimony  to  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and  to  prove  his 
witnessing  true,  he  descended  into  the  grave,  rose  from  its 
power,  and  ascending  on  higb,  received  gifts  for  men,  'yea, 
for  the  rebellious  also.'  Thus  he  'came  to  bear  witness  to 
the  truth,'  and  because  these  truths  are  destined  to  prevail 
over  all  opposition,  and  save  man  universally,  in  prospect 
and  fruition,  therefore  is  he,  'the  Saviour  of  the  World.^^ 

"Hail  to  the  Lord's  Anointed, 

Great  David's  greater  Son, 
Hail  I     iti  the  time  appointed. 

His  reisfn  on  eartl>  beuiin. 
He  conies  to  break  oppresi^ion. 

To  set  the  Captive  Tree, 
To  take   away  Transi;ression, 

And  our  Redeemer  be. 

He  cnme3  with  succour  speedy. 

To  those  who  siifl'er  wrong, 
To  help  the  frail  and   needy. 

And  bid  the  weak  be  strong. 
Oe'r  every  foe  viciorions, 

He  on  liis  ttirone  shall  rest. 
From  age  to  age  more  glorious, 

All  blessing  and  all-blest." — Montgomer-v. 


COMPLETION    OF    THE    ARGUMENT. 

Has  God  invested  the  Saviour  with  Suffi.cient  Power  and 
Meajis  to  effect  a  Triumphant  Accomplishment  of  these 
Glorious  Objects  1 

ANSWER. 

'Which  of  you,  intending  to  build  a  tower,  sitteth  not 
down  first  and  counteth  the  co^i,  whether  he  have  sufficient  to 
Fiiiish  it  ?  Lest  haply,  after  he  hath  laid  the  foundation, 
and  is  NOT  able  to  Fi7iish  it,  all  that  behold  it  begin  to  mock 


Williamson's  Exposition  of  llniversalism,  p.  17. 

G 


110  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

him,  saying,  This  Manhesnn  lohvild,   and  was    not  able 
TO  Finish  f'—Lnke  xxiv.  2S--30. 

'The  Father  hath  not  given  the  Spirit  by  meamre  ^unio 
him.' — John  i.  '5;3. 

'The  Father  lialh  committed  all  jnlcnient  to  the  Son.'— 
John  V.  22. 

'Thou  hast  given  him  Fouur  over  All  Flesh.'— ^ohr\  xvii. 
2.  'All  Power  is  gicen  unto  me  in  Heaven  and  m  Earth.' 
Mat.  xxviii.  18.  'The  Father  loveth  the  Son,  and  hath 
given  all  things  into  his  hands.' — John  iii.  35. 

'God  hath  set  him  fak  above  all  Principality  mid  Pmr- 
er,  and  Might,  and  Dnimnion,  and  every  name  thai  is  nam- 
ed, not  only  in  this  world,  but  in  tlial  which  is  to  come.'— 
Eph.  i.  2i: 

'He  is  the  Head  of  All  Principality  and  Poiv^r.'—Q,o\. 
ii.  20. 

'Christ,  THE  Power  of  God,  and  the  Wisdom  of  Gud." — 
1  Cor.  i.  24. 

'Jesus  knew  All  Men'  -  •  he  hneto  what  teas  i\  Man.'-- 
John  ii.  24,  25. 

'Him  that  is  Glorious  in  apparel,  travelling  in  the  Great- 
ness of  his  Strength,  Mighty  to  Save  !'— Is.  Ixiii.  1. 

'  They  shall  not  Prevail  against  thee,  for  I  am  loith  thee, 
sailh  the  Lord.'— Jer.  i.  19. 

'Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  Sin  of 
the  world  !'— John  i.  29. 

' He  will  Finish  the  v)ork,  and  cut  it  short  in  Righteous- 
ness.'—Rom.  ix.  28.  'The  works  wejie  finished,  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world.' — Heb.  iv.  3. 

'He  shall  have  put  down  All  rule,  and  All  authority  and 
Power,  for  he  must  reign  till  he  hath  put  All  Enemies  un- 
der his  feet,— till  All  Thinffs  are  Subdued  unto  him,  iliat 
God  maybe  All  in  All.'— 1  Cor.  xv.  24-28. 

"Whi)t  lliough  the  Ransom'd  may  refuse, 

Clirist's  iDPssajre  to  receive  ; 
His  ffrncious  messengers  abuse, — 

Yet  still  he  came  to  Save. 
Yea,  slioiild  deception  still  prevail, 

And  blind  all  nalions"  eycB, 
In  his  great  day  he'll  rend  the  vail, 

From  all  beneath  the  skies." 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 


PROPOSITION  TENTH. 


Ill 


The  DEATH  OF    CHRIST   was  for  the  Sins,— for  the 
Redemption  and  Eternal  Blessedness  of  All  Mankind. 

PROOFS. 

'Jesus  was  made  a  little  lower  than  the  anqels,  that  he, 
b)^  the  Grace  of  God,  should  taste  death  for  EVERY  MAN.' 
"-Heb.  ii.  9. 

'I  am  the  Living  Bread,  [said  Jesus,]  which  came  down 
from  heaven  ;  --  and  the  bread  that  I  Vv'ill  give  is  my  flesh. 
which  I  ivill  Give  for  the  Lz/eo/ THE  WORLD.'— John 
vi.  51. 

'The  Mediator  between  God  and  Man  gave  himself  a 
B.ansom  for  ALL.' — 1  Tim.  ii.  6. 

'If  ANY  MAN  sin,  we  have  an  Advocate  with  the  Fa- 
ther, Jesus  Christ  the  Righteous.  And  he  is  the  Propitia- 
tion for  OUR  sins,  and  not  for  ours,  only,  but  also  for  the 
Sins  of  THE  WHOLE  WORLD.'— 1  John  ii.  1,  2. 

'ALL  we  like  sheep  have  gone  astray ;  we  have  turned 
EVERYONE  to  his  own  way;  and  the  Lord  hath  laid 
upon  him  the  Iniquity'dTus  ALL.' — Isa.  liii.  5,  6. 

'He  spared  not  His  own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  Us 
ALL.'— Rom.  viii.  32. 

'One  Died  for  ALL.'— 1  Cor.  v.  14. 

^He  Died  for  ALL.'— 1  Cor.  v.  15. 

He  Died  for  'the  Ln godly. '—Horn.  v.  5. 

He  Died  for  'the  Unjust.'— \  Pet.  iii.  18. 

He  Died  for  'Sinners.' — Rom.  v.  7,  8. 

He  Died  for  his  ' Enemies.''— ^ova.  v.  10,  11. 

He  Died  for  Unbelievers.— Rom.  xiv.  15. 

He  died  for  Fornicators. — 1  Cor.  vi.  19,  20. 


"  Universai.  Saviour,  Thou 
Wilt  all  creatures  blees  ; 

Every  Knee  to  thee  shall  jjow, 
Every  Tongye  confess. 


112  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPK. 

Nonght  shall  in  thy  mount  destroy, 

Sin  prevail  no  moie, 
An!.'els  .shall  be  lill'd  with  joy, — 

Al!  Mankind  adore. 

When,  according  to  thy  word. 

Salvation   is  revcal'd, 
Unin  thee,  Redep.ininjf  Lord, 

The  hearts  of  All  shall  yield. 
Open  thou  the  radiant  scene. 

In  all  thy  glory  shine. 
Let  thy  glorious  reij^n  begin, 

Reign  of  Love  Divine." 


COMPLETION    OF    THE    ARGUMENT. 

Shall  the  Sacrifice,  and  Sufferings,  Sorrotos,  Prayers,  Min- 
istry, and  Teachings  of  Christ,  prove  hieffectuol  for 
the  Salvation  of  Millions  of  the  Race  ? 

ANSWER. 

'He  sliall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  be  satisfied." 
— Isa.  liii.  11. 

The  Universal  Ransom  shall  'he  Testified  in  Dve  Time:' 
—1  Tim.  ii.  6. 

^ I  have  Overcome  the  World.' — John  xvi.  33.  'Greater 
is  he  that  is  in  you,  than  he  that  is  in  the  world.'— 1  Jn.  iv  4- 

'  Jesus,  the  Author  and  Finisher  of  our  Faith.' — Heb.  xii.  2. 

St.  Paul  geems  not  to  have  entertained  any  doubt  of  the 
complete  universal  victory  and  triumph  of  his  Master,  as  he 
spake  of  the  sure  redemption  of  all  for  whom  Christ  died, 
with  all  confidence  :  'Which  is  the  earnest  of  our  inher- 
itance, [wrote  he  to  the  Ephesian  Christians,]  tinfil  the  Re- 
deynption  of  rnr.  Purchared  Possession.' — Eph.  i.  14.  '  The 
Creation  shall  be  Delivered.'— 'Rom.  viii.  20.  All  shall  be 
made  alive  through  Christ  that  have  died  through  Adam.— 
1  Cor.  XV.  22. 

'He  shall  Prevail  against  his  Enemies.' — Isa.  xlii.  13. 

'7  WILL  drani  All  Men  unto  we.'— John  xii.  32. 

'The  Bread  of  Life  cotncth  down  from  heaven,  and  Giv- 
eth  Life  to  the  World.' — John  vi.  33. 


REASONS    KOR    OUR    HOPE. 


1U{ 


'For  Eoery  Knee  shall  bow  to  him,  and  Every  Tongue 
shall  confess  to  God,'— Rom.  xiv.  11  ;  'that  Jesus  Christ  is 
Lord,  to  the  Glory  of  God  the  Father,'— VhW.  ii.  13;  'sure- 
ly shall  say,  In  the  Lord  have  I  Righteousness  a7id  strength: 
— Isa.  xlv.  23. 

"I    sing    the    Gospel    day,         •' 
Wlien  Clirisl  sliall  finish  sin, 
His    wondrous    love    display, 

And  every  rebel  win. 
The  Saviour,  Christ,  must  reign. 

Till  all    his  foes  submit. 
And,  sav'd  from  sin  and  pain. 

Shall  worship  at  his  feel. 
Then  death    iiself  shall  die. 

And  Life,  triumphant,  teign. 

No  more  shall  sinners  siah. 

In  darkness,  guilt  and  pain. 

Prostrate  tiiey  fall,  and  humbly  own. 

That    God  alone,    is  All  in  All." 


PROPOSITION  ELEVENTH. 

The  Whole  Family  of  Mankind,  are  THE  BODY,  PEO- 
PLE, &  POSSESSION  OF  CHRIST. 

PROOFS. 

'All  THL^fGS  are  delivered  unto  Me  of  My  Father:— 
Mat.  xi.  27. 

'The  Father  loveth  the  Son,  and  hath  given  All  Things 
into  his  hands:— 3 o\in  ill.  3-5. 

'All  Things  that  the  Father  hath,  are  Mree.'— .Tohnxvi.  35. 

'The  Father  hath  given  All  Things  into  his  hands:— 
John  xiii.  3. 

'Thou  hast  given  him  power  over  All  FLESH.'--Jn.  xvii  2. 

'All  Things  have  been  delivered  unto  me  of  my  Father.' 
—Luke  X.  22. 

'All  T/«me  are  Mine,  and  mine  are  Thine,  and  I  am 
Glorified  in  Them.'— John  xviii.  10. 

'The  Head  of  Every  Man  is  Christ.'— 1  Cor.  xi.  3. 

'Our  Lord  Jesu:=;  Christ,  of  whom  the  Whole  Family  in 
Heaven  and  in  Earth  are  named: — Eph.  iii.  14,  15. 


114  REASONS    FOR    OUR    Hd'E. 

•He  was  the  true  Light,  which  lightelh,  [ot  shall erdighten,] 
Everyman  that  Cometh  into  the  World.' •■~io\\n  i.  12. 

'Jerusalem  which  is  from  Above,  [the  Heavenly  Kingdom 
of  Zion,]  is  Free,  which  is  the  Mother  of  Us  All.'— 
Gal.  iv.  26. 

'Chri?t,  THE  Heir  of  the  World.' — Rom.  iv.  13. 

'Christ,  the  IreiK  of  All  Things.'— Hcb.  i.  2. 

'It  pleased  the  Father  that  in  Christ  should  All  Fulness 
dwell.'-Col.  i.  19.  [Cor.  x.  26,  28. 

'The  Earth  is  the  Lord's  and   the   Fulness    thereof.' — 1 

'I  will  give  thee  the  Heathen  for  thine  Inheritance,  and 
THE  Uttermost  Parts  of  the  Earth  for  thy  Possession.' 
— Ps.  ii.  8.  ■ 

'Ye  are  Complete  in  him,  which  is  the  Head  of  All  prin- 
cipality and  poiver.' — Col.  ii.  8. 

'Arise,  O  God,  for  thou  shall  Inherit  All  Nations.' — Ps. 
xxxviii.  8. 

'Christ  is  Lord  over  [Oio7ierof]  All,  God  blessed  forev- 
er.'— Rom.   ix.  5. 

'None  of  us  liveth  to  himself,  and  NO  MAN  dieth  to 
himself;  for  whether  we  live,  we  live  unto  the  Lord  ;  and 
whether  we  die,  we  die  unto  the  Lord.  Whether  V)e  live, 
therefore,  or  Die,  We  ark  the  Lord's.  For  to  this  end 
Christ  both  died,  rose,  and  revived,  Mff<  lie  might  become 
Lord  [Owner]  hothofY^A^  Dead  and  The  Living.' — Rom. 
xiv.  7,  9. 

'Jesus  Christ  is  Lord  [0^^•??e?•]  of  All.' — Acts.  x.  36. 

'All  are  yours,  [the  elects']  whether  Paul,  or  AppoUos, 
or  Cephas,  or  the  World,  or  life,  or  death,  or  Things  pres- 
ent, or  Things  to  come, — All  are  yours,  and  Ye  are 
Christ's,  and  Christ  is  God's.' — 1  Cor.  iii.  22. 

'There  is  neither  Jew  nor  Greek,  there  is  neither  Bond 
nor  Free,  there  is  neither  Male  nor  Female,  but  Ye  are 
ALL  ONE  IN  Christ  Jesus.'— Gal.  iii.  28,  29. 

'As  the  body  is  one,  and  hath  many  members,  and  all  the 
members  of  that  body,  being  many,  are  one  body  :  So  also 
IS  Christ.  For  by  one  Spirit  are  we  All  baptised  into 
ONE  BODY,  whether  we  be  Jews  or  Gentiles,  [the  ex- 
pression Jetos  a?id  Gentiles  comprehends  the  v;hole  ivorld,} 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 


115 


whether  we  be  bond  or  free,'  &c. — 1  Cor.  xii.  12,  to  fin.  cap. 

'  There  is  neither  Greek  nnr  Jeio,  Cirai?ncisio?i  nor  Un- 
circumcisio?i.  Barbarian,  Scythian,  Bond  or  Free,  but 
Christ  is  ALL,  and  IN  xVLL.' — Col.  iii.  11. 

'He  that  committeth  fornication  sinneth  against  his  own 
body.  Know  ye  not  that  your  body  is  the  temple  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  ichich  is  in  You.  tiihich  Ye  have  of  God,  and  Ye 
ARE  NOT  YOUR  OWN  ?  For  Ye  are  Bought  loith  a  Price.^ — 
1  Cor.  vi.  19,  20. 

'I  will  say  to  them  which  loere  not  My  People,  Thou  art 
My  People.' — Hos.  ii.  23,  et  mult,  aliis. 

•'Fathfir,  is  not  Thy  Promise  sure 

To  lliv  ex:ilted  Son, 
That  throiirjli  All  Nations  of  the  Earth 

Thy  word  of  Life  shall  run  ? 
Are  not  the  souls  of  all  mankind. 

Beneath  the  arch  of  heav'n, 
To  liie    dominion  of  Thy  Son 

Without  exoeption  giv'n  ?" 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  ARGUMENT. 

D)  the  Scriptures  counlenance  the  dreadful  Idea,  that  an 
almost  infinite  number  of  the  Souls  lohich  ha.ve  been 
gicen  to  Christ  shall  ultimately  be  ivrcsted  from  him, 
a7id  become  the  eternal  Property  of  the  Savage  King 
of  Hell  and  Misery? 

ANSWER. 

'I  am  persuaded,  [said  Paul,]  that  he  is  able  to  KEEP 
that  which  is  committed  to  him.' — 2  Tim.  i.  12. 

'I  give  unto  them  eternal  life.  They  shall  never  perish, 
)ieAther  xhall  any  pluck  them  out  of  my  hands.' — John  x.  28. 

'My  Father  which  gave  them  tne  is  Greater  than  All  ; 
and  JVo«e  is  able  to  pluck  out  of  vnj  Father  s  hands.' — John 
X.  29.  Is  it  not  folly  to  suppose  that  God,  who  is  the  Crea- 
tor, and  consequently  the  Owner,  of  all  the  universe,  can 
ever  lose  anything  ?  or  to  believe  that  He,  beside  Whom 
there  is  no  God  else,  is  not  the  Sovereign  Possessor  of  mil- 
lions of  His  created  intelligences,  who   have   been  snatched 


116  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

from  His  power  and  paternal  care  by  the  Kinfj  Monster  of 
Iniquity  and  VV^oe,  and  nerer  can  be  reclaimed  ? 

'lie  shall  LOSE  NOTHING  of  ALL,  which  the  Father 
hath  given  him.' — John  vi.  39. 

He  shall  give  eternal  life  to  the  'All  Flesh'  which  the  Fa- 
ther hath  given  him. — John  xvii.  2. 

'ALL,  that  the  Father  uiveih  me,  SHALL  COME  TO 
ME.'— John  vi.  37. 

'I  will  draw  ALL  MENumto  me.'— John  xii.  32. 

"Praise  him  whose  reign  of  truth  and  grace 
Shall  evermore  increase, 
Till  every  soul  of  all  the  race, 
Shall  own  him  Prince  of  Peace. 

When  finish'd  is  ins  plan  of  Love, 

All  sin  and  ill  shall  cease. 
And  every  tonjjue.  in  heav'n  above. 

Shall  own  him  Prince  of  Peace." 


PROPOSITION  TWELFTH. 

In  vieto  of  the  Eventual  Samtijication  of  All  Mankind, 
the  Gospel  regards  the  common  DISTINCTIONS  be- 
tween Man  and  Man,  to  be  Abolished. 

PROOFS. 

'The  Common  Salvation.' — Jude  3.  In  the  same  versp 
the  author  of  this  epistle  calls  this  doctrine,  'T/te  Faith 
which  was  once  delivered  to  the  Saints.^ 

'Ye  who  were  sometimes  far  off  are  wade  nigh  by  the 
blood  of  Christ ;  for  he  is  our  Peace,  [the  Mediator  of  Uni- 
versal Reconciliation,^  who  hath  broken  down  the  middle 
wall  of  partition  between  us.' — Eph.  ii.  13,  14. 

'God  hath  showed  me  that  I  should  not  call  ANY 
MAN  Common  or  Unclean.' — Acts  x.  28. 

'Who  maketh  thee  to  differ  from  Another  ?  and  what  hast 
thou  that  thou  did'st  not  also  receive?  and  if  thou  did'st 
RECEIVE  it,  why  dnst  thou  glory  as  if  thou  had'st  not  Re- 
ceived it  V — 1  Cor.  iv.  7. 

'God  hath  made  of  one  blood   all  nations  that  dwell  on 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 


117 


all  the  face  of  the  earth,' — and  all  are  His  offspring, — Acts 
xvii.  26,  29. 

'The  Scripture  hath  concluded  All  under  Sin.' — G.il.iii. 
22.     'God  hath  concluded  All  in   Unbelief.* — Rom.  xi.  32. 

'Behold,  All  TniNOs  are  clean  unto  you.' — Luke  xi.  41. 
'Every  Creature  of  God  is  good.' — 1  Ti/n.  iv.  4.  Let  it  be 
noticed  that  these  passages  are  all  radically  at  variance  with 
the  doctrine  of  total  depravity. 

'And  Peter  saw  Heaven  opened,  and  a  vessel  descending 
unto  him  like  unto  a  great  sheet,  knit  together  at  the  four 
corners,  and  let  down  to  the  earth  ;  whereon  were  All  Matt- 
ner  of  four-footed  Beasts  of  the  earth,  and  wild-fowls,  and 
creeping  things,  and  fowls  of  the  air,  \clean  and  unclean 
leasts  'OF  THE  earth'  observe, — yea,  'all  manner'  of  them, 
— representing  all  kinds  of  sinners,  all  forms  and  degrees 
of  unbelief, — and  mark,  these  loere  let  doivn  from  Heaven.] 
And  there  came  a  Voice  to  him, — Rise,  Peter,  kill  and  eat. 
But  Peter  said,  Not  so,  Lord;  for  I  have  never  eaten  any- 
thing that  is  common  or  unclean.  And  the  Voice  spake 
unto  him  again  the  second  time, — What  God  hath  Cleans- 
ed, THAT  CALL  NOT  THOU  CoMMON.  This  was  done  three 
times.  AND  ALL  WERE  DRAWN  UP  AGAIN 
INTO  HEAVEN.'— Acts  xi,  7-10. 

•There  is  neither  Greek  nor  Jew,  circumcision  nor  uncir- 
cumcision,  barbarian,  Scythian,  bond  nor  free,  male  nor  fe- 
male, but  are  All  O'NE  in  Christ -^fesus..' — Gal.iii;  Col.  iii. 

'Having  abolished  in  his  flesh  the  enmity  [the  grounds 
of  the  jealousy  and  selfishness  which  have  obtained  in  the 
world,  teaching  free  grace  and  a  common  destiny  for  all  na- 
tions and  kindreds,  as  well  as  their  common  beginning  and 
common  heavenly  care,]  even  the  law  of  commandments 
and  ordinances,  [which  recognised  such  human  distinctions, 
and  God  a  Respector  of  Persons  and  Nations,]  for  to  make 
IN  himself,  of  Twain,  ONE  NEWMAN,  [of  which  Christ 
himself  is  the  Head,]  so  making  Peace;  and  that  he  might 
Reconcile  hoth  [Jews  and  Heathen,  i.  e.  in  the  scriptural 
sense.  Believers  and  Unbelievers,  the  Righteous  and  the  Un- 
righteous, these  two  grand  divisions  of  mankind,]  unto  God 
in  ONE  BODY,  by  the  cross,  havingslain  the  enmity  ihere- 

7 


118  KEASONS    I-OR    OUil    HOPE, 

by,  and  came  and  preached  [alilcej  to  ihem  which  were 
afar  off,  and  to  llieiii  which  were  iiigh.  For  lhroiif,Hi  him 
we  have  both  acces.s  by  one  Spirit,  unto  the  same  Father. 
Novv,  therefore,  Ye  are  no  more  strangers  and  foreigners, 
but  Fellow-Citizens  with  the  Saints  of  tlie  Household  of 
God,  and  are  built  upon  tlic  fouiidaiion  of  the  Apoblles  and 
Prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  beinir  the  chief  Corner-Stone; 
in  whom  All  the  Buildiiiir,  fitly  framed  together,  ['Every 
Man  in  his  own  order '^  growetli  unto  an  Holy  Temple  in 
the  Lord.'— E ph.  ii.  12-22. 

'There  are  Many  Members,  yet  but  One  Body  j  and  the 
Eye  cannot  say  unto  the  Hand,  I  have  no  need  of  thee  ;' 
nor  again  the  Head  lo  the  Feet,  /  have  no  need  of  thee' 
Nay,  MUCH  more,  those  Members  of  THE  BODY  which 
we  think  to  be  least  honorable,  upon  them  are  bestowed 
moke  abundant  honor ;  and  our  uncomely  parts  have  more 
aJ)undant  comeliness.  For  our  comely  Parts  have  NO 
NEED,  ['they  which  be  whole  need  not  a  Physician,  but 
they  which  are  sick.']  But  God  hath  tempered  THE  BODY 
together,  ['He  hath  given  ever}''  one  a  body  as  it  pleaseth 
Him,']  having  given  more  abundant  H(-nuk  to  that  part 
WHICH  LACKED.' — 1  Cor.  xii.  20-24. 

'These  which  say,  Stand  by  thyself,  come  not  near  me, 
for  I  am  holier  than  Ihou,  are  a  smoke  in  ]\iy  nose,  a  'Ire 
that  burnetii  all  the  day,  saith  the  Lord.' — Isa.  Ixv.  5. 

"  As  flame  ascends, — 
As  bodies  lo  their  proper  centre  move, — 
As  the  pois'd  ocean  to  iti'  attractive  moon 
Obedient  swells,  nnd  every  winding  stream 
Devolves  its  ."earcliing  wr.ters  to  the  main  ; 
So,  Jill  things  vhich  have  life,  aspire  to  God, — 
Thk  Sun  of  I^eing,  boundless,  unimpair'd, 
Centre  of  JlllSouls  !    Nor  does  the  voire 
Of  faithful  Nature  cease  to  prompt  tlicir  steps 
Ariwhl  ;  nor  is  the  care  of  Heaven  withheld. 
From  i^ranliiiir  to  the  task  'pro]iorlion''d  weans  ; 
That,  in  their  slaiions,  jf//  may  persevere 
To  climb  fli'  ascent  f)f  beins?,   and  approach, 
Forever  nearer  to  the  Life  Divine." — Akenside. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  119 


PROPOSITION  THIRTEENTH. 

The  Human  Famihj  is  not  divisible  into  two  Great  Classes, 

The  Righteous,  and  the.  Wicked,  for  ALL  MEN  ARE 

SINNERS,  so  that   if  Salvation  and  Damnation  are 

of  Works,  one   or  the  other   will  be     Universal, — we 

prove  the  Former. 

PROOFS. 

'There  is  NO  MAN  that  sinneth  not.' — 1  Kings  vii.  46. 

'Both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  [the  whole  race,]  they  are  ALL 
under  Sin ;  as  it  is  written.  There  is  NONE  righteous,  no, 
NOT  ONE.'— Rom.  iii.  IL 

'Whatsoever  the  Law  saith,  it  saith  to  them  who  are  un- 
der the  Law  ;  that  Every  Mouth  may  be  stopped,  and  ALL 
THE  WORLD  may  become  Guilty  before  God.' — Rom. 
iii.  15. 

'There  is  NONE  good,  but  One,  that  is  God.'— Mat. 
xix.  17  ;  Mark  x.  IS';  Luke  xviii.  19. 

'In  Thy  sight  shall  NO  MAN  LIVING  be  justified.'— 
Ps.  cxliii."  2. 

'If  we  say  we  have  JVo  Sin,  we  deceive  ourselves,  and 
are  not  in  the  truth.' — 1  John  i.  8.   • 

'We  are  ALL  as  an  unclean  thing,  and  all  onr  righteous- 
nesses are  as  filthy  rags.  And  we  ALL  do  fade  as  a  leaf, 
and  Our  iniquities  like  the  wind  have  taken  Us  away.' — 
Isa.  Ixiv.  6. 

'Tliere  is  NONE  that  doeth  {eiitirehfl  good.  The  Lord 
looked  down  from  heaven  upon  the  Children  of  Men,  to  see 
if  there  were  ANY  that  did  understand  and  seek  God. — 
They  are  ALL  gone  aside,  they  are  ALL  TOGETHER 
become  filthy.  There  is  NONE  that  doeth  good.  No, 
NOT  ONE!'— Ps.  xiv.  1-3. 

'ALL  have  Sinned,  and  come  short  of  the  Glory  of  God.' 
— Rom.  iii.  22.  But  were  they  to  be  eternally  contiriued 
in  unrighteousness  and  suffering,  or  a  Part  of  them,  would 
they  thus  come  up  to  the  Glory  of  God  ? 


120 


RKASONh    FOR    OUR  HOPE. 


Now  when  a  man  ruthlessly  asserts  that  Endless  suffer- 
ing'is  the  Penahy  wliich  God  lias  written  in  connection  with 
His  Law  as  the  reward  of  every  transgression,  (which  is  a 
daring,  a  sacreligious,  a  wicked  declaration,)  he  at  the  sanne 
lime,  by  a  palpable  inference,  avows  the  appalling  sentiment 
of  Z7rtircr5«/ Endless  Woe.  Unquestionably,  if  that  penalty 
is  the  imperative  demand  of  God's  [we  cannot  say  Justice,] 
Implacability  and  Wrath,  thai  is  the  direct,  the  only  conclus- 
ion. For,  as  we  have  amply  seen,  so  far  from  any  human 
creature  being  good  enough  for  heaven,  all  are  sinful,  and 
were  the  premise  of  the  Ivfmite  Penalty  true,  the  whole 
universal  familv  of  mankind  have  incurred  that  dreadful 
doom.  And  with  the  abundant  Bible  testimony  to  the  'In- 
evitahleness  of  Divine  Punishments,  which  arises,  assur- 
ing us  so  solemnly  that  'God  will  ey  no  means  clear  the 
Guilty,'  that  He  never  shifts  the  due  responsibity  of 
Guilt,  but  fixes  'the  righteousness  of  the  righteous  upon 
HIM,  and  the  wickedness  of  the  wicked  upon  him,'  one  must 
be  blind  not  to  see  that  this  awful  idea  is  plainly  involved 
in  that  presumptuous  proposition.  But  we  need  not  here 
exhibit  but  one  argument  to  demonstrate  the  falsity  of  the 
principle  of  the  Infinite  Penalty,  and  that  is  to  show  that  the 
Scriptures  derive  precisely  the  opposite  conclusion  from  the 
fact  of  man's  universal  sinfulness,  from  the  one  which  that 
unfounded  principle  involves. 


COMPLETIOfI    OF    THE    ARGUMENT. 

Shall  the  Universal  Sinfvlness  of  Man  result  in  Universal 
or  Partial  Fmdless  Misery,  or  in  Co-Extensive  Re- 
demption and  Holiness  ? 

ANSWER. 

'As  in  Adam  ALL  DIE,  [the  spiritual  mortality  which 
came  upon  him  in  the  day  of  his  disobedience,]  even  so,  in 
Christ,  shall  ALL  be  made  Alive.' — 1  Cor.  xv.  22. 

'ALL  were  dead,  and  he  died  for  ALL.' — 2  Cor.  v.  14. 

'By  the  offence  of  one,  judgnient  came  upon  ALL  MEN 
to  condemnation  ;  even  so,  h\  \he  righteousness  of  one,  the 
free  gift  came  upon  ALL  MEN  to  justification  of  life.' — 
RomT  V.  18. 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  121 

'ALL  we  like  sheep  have  gone  astray  ;  we  are  turned 
EVERY  ONE  to  his  own  way  ;  and  'the  Lord  hath  lain 
upon  him  ihc  iniquity  of  us  ALL,  and  by  his  stripes  we  are 
healed.' — Isa.  liii.  6. 

'God  hath  concluded  ALL  in  unbelief,  that  he  viight  ham 
Mercy  upon  ALL.' — Rom.  xi.  32. 

'The  Scripture  hath  concluded  ALL  under  Sin,  -  -  and 
there  is  neither  Male  nor  Female  but  are  all  in  Christ  Je- 
sus, and  Heirs  of  The  Promise.' — Gal.  iii.  21,  25. 

'ALL  have  sinned,  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God, — 

BEING    JUSTIFIED    FREELY    BY    HlS  GrACE,    THROUGH  THE  RE- 
DEMPTION THAT  IS  IN  Christ  Jesus.' — Rom.  iii.  22. 

'Therefore,  by  the  deeds  of  the  laio,  shall  NO  FLESH 
be  justified  in  His  sight,  [because  all  have  broken  the  law;] 
for  by  the  law  is  the  knowledge  of  Sin.  But  now,  the 
righteousness  of  God  without  the  law  is  manifested,  being 
witnessed  [prophesied  of]  by  the  law  and  the  Prophets,  even 
the  righteousness  of  God  which  is  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ 
UNTO  ALL,  and  upon  all  them  that  believe ;  for  there 
IS  NO  difference.     For  All  have  sinned,'  &c. — Rom.  iii.  20. 

•'He  comes  to  exclianae  all  sin  for  holiness. 
And  death  for  immortality,   man's  soul 
For  God's  own  Spirit, — all  ill  for  all  ;Erood. 
All  men  have  sinned, — and  as  Jor  Jill  he  died, 
All  shall  be   Saved.     0,  not  a  single  soul 
Less  than  the  countless  ALL,  can  satisfy 
The  infinite  triumph  which    to  him  helongs. 
Who  ministered  and  suffered  !" — Festus. 


PROPOSITION  FOURTEENTH. 

The  Eternal  Happiness  of  Mankind  is  predicated  in  the 
Scriptures  zipon  the  Effectual,  Impartial  GRACE  of 
God,  because  Salvation  is  not  of  Merit. 

PROOFS. 
'I  DO  NOT  FRUSTRATE  THE   GRACE    OF  GOD.' — St.  PaUL. 

'We  believe  that  through  the  Grace  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  We  shall  be  Saved.' — Acts  xv.  11. 

'The  Law  was  given  by  Moses,  but  by  Jesus  Christ  came 
Grace  and   Truth.' — John  i.  17. 


122  HGA?ONS  FOR  OUU  HOPE. 

*B\'  [eicTivd],  pnn'inX  election?  ox  hy  belief  1  or  by  good 
tforks?\  Gkace  are  Ye  Saved,  through  Failh,  and  that,  not 
of  Yo7ir selves,  it  is  the  gift  of  God,  not  of  works,  lest  any 
man  should  boast.'— Eph.  ii.  7. 

'The  kindness  and  love  of  God  our  Saviour  toward  Man 
appeared,  not  by  xoorks  of  right consness  which  we  have  done, 
BUT  ACCORDING  TO  His  Mekcy  [Grace,']  He  saved  us,  by  the 
washino- of  regeneration,  and  renewing  of  the  Koly  Spirit, 
which  He  shed  on  us  abundantly  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Saviour,  that,  being  justified  by  His  Grace,  we  should  be 
Heirs,  according  to  the  Hope  of  Eternal  Life. '—Tit.  iii.4-8. 

'Who  hath  saved  us,  and  called  us  with  an  holy  calling, 
NOT  according  TO  OUR  WORKS,  but  according  to  His  own 
Purpose  and  Grace,  which  was  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus 
before  the  world  began,  but  now  is  made  manifest,  by  the 
appearing  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour,  u-ho  hath  Abolished 
Death,  and  brought  LiiE  and  Immortality  to  light  through 
the  Gospel.'— 2  Tim.  i.  S--10. 

'It  is  NOT  of  him  that  willeth,  nor  of  him  that  runneth,  but 
of  God  that  sheweth  Mercy,  [Grace].' — Rom.  ix.  16. 

'Even  as  David  also  describeth  the  blessedness  of  a  man 
to  whom  God  imputeih  [bestoweth]  righteousness  without 
WORKS.' — Rom.  iv.  16. 

'If  rii;hteousness  came  ^y  [obedience  to]  the  La.w,  then 
Christ  is  Dead  in  Vain,'  [for  millions,  perhaps  might  re- 
main sinful  during  their  whole  existence.]— Gal.  ii.  21. 

'If  BY  Grace,  then  it  is  no  more  ofivorhs  ;  but  if  it  be  of 
works,  then  it  is  no  more  Grace.'— Rom.  xi.  6. 

'Our  Father  hath  loved  us,  and  given  unto  us  Everlasting 
Consolation  and  Good  Hope  through  Grace.' — 2  Thes.  ii.16. 

'According  to  His  abundant  Grace,  He  hath  begotten  u» 
unto  a  Living  Hope.' — 1  Pet.  i.  3. 

"Praise  to  the  Goodness  of  the  Lord, 
Who  rules  His  People  by  His  Word, 
And  there  reveals  a  Plan  of  Grace, 
Encircling  Ail  the  Human  Race." 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    tlOPK.  123 


COMPI-ETION    OF    THE    ARGUMENT. 

S'lall  the  Grace  of   God  prove  Effectual  and   Siijjic'unt  for 
tht  Salvation  of  All ^  or  shall  it  be  Partially  Bestowed  ? 

ANSWER. 
'Ye  Knew  the  Grace  of  God  in  truth.' — Paul. 

'The  Grace  of  God  bringeth  Salvation  to  ALL  MEN.' 
— Titus  ii.  IL 

'By  the  Grack  of  God,  he  tasted  death  for  EVERY 
MAN.'— Heb.  ii.  9. 

'Where  Sin  abounded,  Grace  didm^ich  more  abound.' — 
Rom.  V.  20.  (xi.  32. 

'That  He  might  have  Mercy  (Grace)  upon  ALL.' — Rom. 

'^4s  Sin  hath  reigned  unto  death,  Even  so  might  Grace 
reign  through  righteousness  unto  eternal  life,  by  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.'— Rom.  v.  21. 

'All  have  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God,  but 
are  just  ifed  Freely  by  His  Grace.'— Rom.  iii.  24. 

'Where  is  boasting  then  ?  It  is  excluded.  By  what 
law  ?  Ofjoorks?  NAY,  but  by  the  law  of  faith.  There- 
fore we  conclude  that  a  man  is  just'iied  by  faith  ivithoiit  the 
deeds  of  the  laic.  Is  He  the  God  of  the  Jews  only,  and  not 
the  God  of  the  Gentiles  ?  [Is  He  a  Respector  of  Nations, 
anymore  than  o{  Persojis?^  Yes,  He  is  the  Lord  of  the 
Gentiles  also  :  Seeing  it  is  one  God  which  shall  judge  the 
Circumcision  by  faith,  and  the  LTncircumcision  through 
faith.'— Rom.  iii.  20--30. 

'God  is  able  to  make  All  Grace  abound  toward  You,  that 
Ye  shall  have  All  Sufficiency  in  All  Things.'' — 2  Cor.  ix.  8. 
The  New  and  Better  Covenant  of  God's  Universal  Grace, 
is  called  emphatically,  'The  Gospel  of  the  Grace  of  God,' 
in  contradistinction  from  all  empty,  Partialistic,  narrow, 
faith-and-work  systems  of  human  devisings  ;  while,  at  the 
same  time,  it  does  not  weaken  but  strengthen  the  force  of 
the  great  truth,  which  itself,  as  well  as  all  nature,  reason, 
experience,  and  even  pagan  philosophy,  teaches,   that  good 


124  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

works  are  necessary  and  indispcnsahle  to  the  happiness  and 
salvation  of  (his  life,  even  without  rcfcrcnre  to  the  existence 
of  a  future  one.  This  doctrine  of  the  Divine  Grace,  docs 
not  prochiim  impunity  or  pardon  to  the  transtrrcssor,  but 
simply  teaches  that,  separate  from  the  iuecjualiiies  of  lime, 
and  beyond  and  independent  of  \.\\o  doini^s  of  this  life,  and 
the  dispensation  of  Rewards  and  Punishments,  there  comes 
a  period  when  the  Reign  of  Love  shall  have  overcome  and 
over-abounded  the  whole  extent  of  Evil,  and  transformed 
the  universal  mass  of  soul  into  its  own  beautiful  likeness. — 
Is  it  not  evident  that  if  the  Grace  of  God  is  sufficient  for  the 
resurrection  of  one  dead  soul  to  the  divine  life,  especially 
the  very  'chief  that  it  is  also  adequate  to  the  regeneration 
of  any  indefinite  numljer,  and  even  ot  all  that  arc  created? 
It  is  indeed  almost  marvellous  that  men  should  limit  the 
extent  and  nature  of  the  Grace  of  God,  in  the  lace  of  so 
much  testimony  as  is  contained  in  the  New  Testament  to 
its  amplitude  and  gloriousness.  So  many  expressions  like 
these,  'the  Manifold  Grace  of  God,'  'the  Exceeding  Grace  of 
God,'  'the  JibvndanV  and  'the  Exceeding  Abundant  Grace 
ofo7ir  Lord  Jesus  Christ'  'the  Riches,'  'the  Exceeding  Rich- 
es,' and  'the  Unseairhable  Riches  of  His  Grace,'  the  Grace 
by  which  we  2i\e  'Freely  justified,'  and  which  superabounds 
the  blight  of  Sin,  &c.,  such  expressions,  I  say,  so  frequently 
occurring,oughl  to  make  us  believe  and  think  more  worthily 
of  the  ^ivine  character  and  Purposes. 

"When  Inimbly  I  rerall. 
The  lokens    of    His    favour, 
And  see  in  him  of  All, 
The  Fallirr,  Friend,  and  Saviour, — 
I    feel    that    He, 
Whose  love    to  me. 
Thus   far    halh   not   abated. 
Will  never  let. 
His  Grace  fororet, 
A  soul  His  Pow'r  created. 
Thus  in  the  siilly  niijiit. 
Ere  slumber's  chain  liaih  hound  me. 
Remembrance  brings  the  lij.'ht. 
Of  Love  Divine  around  me." — Rev,  A.  C.  Thomas. 


EEASONS  FOR  OUR  HOrE.  125 


PROPOSITION  FIFTEENTH. 

The  Redemption  and  Blessedness  of  Man  is  not  the  Fruit  of 
his  oion  Earnijig,  and  not  dii-ectly  dependent  upon  the. 
Works  of  this  Life,  but  is  a  Free,  Tmpurchasallc,  and 
Impartial  GIFT,  of  the  God  of  Salvation. 

PROOFS. 

"■Thou  hast   thought  that  the  Gift  of   God  may  be   Purchased.'' — Act?. 

'Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Ye  have  sold  jonrse\vesforna?ighf, 
and  Ye  shall  be  Redeemed  without  money.' — Isa.  lii.  3. 

'Ho  !  Every  One  that  thirsteth.  Co?ne  Ye  to  the  Waters, 
A>"D  HE  THAT  HATH  NO  MoNEY  :  Coms  Ye,  buy  and  eat, — 
yea.  Come  buy  wine  and  milk,  without  bioney  and  with- 
out PRICE.' — Isa.  Iv.  1. 

'The  GIFT  [not  'Offer']  of  God,  is  Eternal  Life,  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.' — Rom.  vi.  23. 

'This  is  the  Record,  that  God  hath  GIVEN  to  us  Eternal 
Life  through  His  Son.' — 1  John  v.  IL 

'Him  hath  God  exalted  with  His  right  hand  to  be  a  Prince 
aud  a  Saviour,  for  to  ['offer'?]  GIVE  Repentance  to  Israel, 
and  Remission  of  Sins.' — Acts  v.  31. 

'No  man  can  come  unto  Me,  [said  the  Redeemer,]  ex- 
cept it  were  GIVEN  him  of  My  Father.'— -John  vi.  65. 

'A  man  can  receive  nothing,  except  it  be  GIVEN  him 
from  heaven.'— John  iii.  27. 

'A  Neiv  Heart  and  One  Way  also  will  I  GIVE  You.'— 
Ezek.  xxxvi.  26;  xi.  19;  Jer.  xxxii.  39;  xxiv.  7. 

"The  world  is  all-siifficient  for  itself. 
And  hell  and  heav'n  are  not  //i'  equivalents 
Of  earth's  iniquities  and  righteousness." 

The  Folly  of  Hoping  J^or  Salvation  from  any  but  God. 

'Truly,  in  vain  is  Salvation  hoped  for  from  the  hills,  or 
from  the  multitude  of  mountains  :  Truly,  in  the  Lord  God 
is  the  Salvation  of  Israel.' — Jer.  iii.  23. 

'Consider  the  work  of  God :  for  who    [but  Himself,]  can 

H 


126  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

make  that  straight,  which  He  hath  made  crooked  ?' — Eccl. 
vii.  13. 

'Cease  ye  from  man,  whose  breath  is  in  his  nostrils,  for 
wherefore  is  he  to  be  accounted  of?' — Isa.  ii.  22. 

'Cursed  be  the  man  that  trusteth  in  man,  and  maketh 
flesh  his  arm,  and  whose  heart  [confidence]  departeth  from 
tlie  Lord  ;  -  -  -  but.  Blessed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  the 
Lord.' — Jer.  xvii.  5,  7. 


COMPLETION    OF    THE    ARGUMENT. 

Is  this  Glorious  Gift  a  Universal  or  Partial  Onel  or  shall 
Any  be  Eternally  Excluded  from  its  Participation  ? 

ANSWER. 

'Christ,  the  Bread  of  Life,  cometh  down  from  heaven; 
and  [•ofrereth,on  conditions'?]  GIVETH  Life  unto  The 
World.' — John  vi.  33. 

'The  Bread  that  I  will  GIVE  is  my  flesh,  which  I  WILL 
GIVE  for  the  Life  of  The  World.'— John  vi.  51. 

'Thou  hast  criven  him  power  over  All  Flesh,  that  he 
should  GIVE  Eternal  Life  to  as  many  as  Thou  hast  given 
him.'— John  xvii.  2. 

'That  the  Gentiles  should  be  Fellow-Heirs  of  the  same 
Body,  and  Partakers  of  His  Promise  in  Christ,  by  the  Gos- 
pel, according  to  THE  GIFT  of  the  Grace  of  God.'— 
Eph.  iii.  7. 

^Not  only  as  the  Ofl'ence,  So  is  THE  FREE  GIFT.- 
For  if  through  the  offence  of  one,  Many  |  Mankind]  be  dead, 
MUCH  more,  the  Grace  of  Gorf,  and  THE  GIFT  by  Grace, 
hath  abounded  unto  Many,'  [Mankind.]— Rom.  v.  15. 

'And  7iot  as  it  was  by  one  that  sinned  .vo  [merely]  is  THE 
GIFT.  For  the  judgment  was  by  one  [offence,  only,]  to 
condemnation  ;  but  THE  FgEE  GIFT  is  of  Many,  [the 
Mass,  Multitude  of  ]   Offences,  unto  justification.' — v.   16. 

'For,  if  by  one  man's  disobedience,  Death  [universal] 
reigned  by  one,  much  more  they,  [the  universally  dead,] 
receiving  ABUNDANCE  of  Grace,  and  of  THE  GIFT 
of  Righteousness,  shall  reign  in  Life  by  one,'  (Christ  Je- 
sus.)— Rom.  v.  17. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  JQ7 

'Therefore,  As,  by  the  offence  of  one,  judgment  came  upon 
All  Men,  to  Condemnation  :  Even  So,  by  the  Righteous^ 
ness  of  One,  THE  FREE  GIFT  LlCr=CAME  UPON  ALL 
MEN,  unto  Justification  of  Life.'— Rom.  v.  18. 

'God  GAVE  tiiem,  [the  Unbelieving,]  the  like  GIFT  as 
He  did  unto  us  who  believed.''— Acts  xvii.  17. 

'If  ye  do  [the  Lord  doelh]  good  to  them  which  do  good  to 
you,  [Him,  o?ilij,]  what  reward  [glory]  have  ye,  [hath  He?] 
for  sinners  also  do  even  the  same.  And  if  ye  lend  to  them 
ofivhomyehope  to  Receive.,  [only,]  what  thank  have  Ye? 
for  Sinners  also  lend  to  sinners,  ii;he?i  they  Receive  as  much 
again.' — Luke  vi.  33,  34. 

'What  man  is  there,  whom,  if  his  son  ask  bread,  he  will 
Give  a  stone?  Or  if  he  ask  a  fish,  will  Give  him  a  serpent? 
\i  men,  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  Give  Good  Gifts  unto 
their  children,  how  much  more  shall  our  Father  which  is  in 
heaven,  [who  is  Good,^  GIVE  Good  Things  to  them  that 
ask  Him.' — Mat.  vii.  9--11.  'And  our  heavenly  Father 
[unlike  human  parents,]  knoweth  what  things  we  have 
need  of  before  we  ask  him.'— vi.  8. 

'God  GIVETH  [to  the  elect  only  ?]  to  All  Men  liberally, 
and  upbraideth  not,'  [that  we  cannot  earn  His  Gifts.]--Jas.i.5. 

When  Jesus  commissioned  his  Disciples  to  commence 
the  great  work  of  preaching  the  Glad  News  of  his  Salva- 
tion to  every  people  and  every  creature,  giving  them  power 
to  heal  the  sick,  cleanse  the  lepers,  raise  the  dead,  and  cast 
out  devils,  {ihe  physical  in  the  Scriptures  is  figurative  also 
of  the  spiritnal;)  he  commanded  them,  'Freely  ye  have 
received,  FREELY  GIVE  !'-Mat.  x.  1,  8. 

*No  man  can  come  unto  me,  except  the  Father  which 
sent  me  draio  him;  -  -  And  it  is  written  in  the  Prophets, 
They  ALL  shall  be  taught  of  God.' — John  vi.  44,  45. 

'If  they  which  are  of  the  law,  [the  obedient,  only,]  be 
Heirs,  Faith  [the  word  Trust  is  a  much  nearer  approxima- 
tion to  the  sense  of  the  original  here,  and  in  many  other 
places  of  Paul's  epistles,  especially  when  he  writes  of  The 
Promise,]  is  made  void,  and  the  Promise  made  of  none 
effect.  -  -  Therefore  it  is  of  Trust,  that  it  might  be  by  Grace, 


128  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

to  the  end  that  the  Promise  might  he  sure  to  all  the  Seed, 
['all  families,'  ami  'kindreds,']  not  to  that  only  which  is  of 
the  law,  but  to  that  also  which  is  of  the  trvM  of  Abraham, 
which  is  the  Father  of  us  ALL.' — Rom.  \v.  14-16. 

'Thanks  be  to  God  for  His  UNSPEAKABLE  GIFT  !' 
— 2Cor.  ix.  15. 

And  as  man  is  led  to  view  the  broad  river  of  the  Lord's 
universal  Grace  and  boundless  Mercy,  fertilizing  the  wide 
earth,  whether  in  its  operations  for  present  good,  or  in  the 
inspiration  of  hope  for  the  future,  or  of  its  healing  and  sanc- 
tifying power  ;  with  the  steady  eye  of  faith,  contemplating 
the  mighty  gloriousness  of  the  fathomless  gift  towards  which 
the  myriad  streams  of  Almighty  Grace  are  tending,  his  fer- 
vent prayer  and  ours  shall  be, 

"Roll  on,  thou  mighty  river, 

Forever  and  the  same, 
From  God,  th'  Impartial  Giver, 

Thy  healing  waters  came. 
Where'er  earth's  wanderer  roameth, 

Thou  life  to  him  shall  give. 
For  where  the  river  cometh, 

Lo  !    every  thing  shall  live. 
The  well-springs  of  Salvation, 

Shall  swell  its  blissful  tide. 
Till    all    of    every   nation, 

In  Jesus  shall  abide. 
When  at  the  throne  eternal, 

A  ransom'd  world  shall  bend. 
And,  crown'd  with  peace  supernal, 

Adore  th'  Almighty  Friend  !" 

Rev.  T.  J.  Greenwood. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  129 


PROPOSITION   SIXTEENTH. 

The  Church  Universal,  which  is  the  Possession  and  Body 
of  Christ,  according  to  Prop.  XL,  shall  be  Eventually 
SANCTIFIED  e?i^  UNITED  to  Him,  in  Eteriial 
Peace  and  Reco?iciliation. 

PROOFS. 

♦Christ  loved  the  Church,  and   gave  himself  for  it,    [he 

"LOVED  THE  WORLD,"     "GAVE    HIMSELF  A  RansOM  FOR    All." 

If  his  'Church'  does  not  comprise  the  sinful  and  unbelieving 
of  mankind,  why  should  he  have  given  himself  a  sacrifice 
for  it?]  that  he  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it,  [of  what 
should  he  cleanse  his  Church,  if  it  only  comprise  the  pure 
and  holy  ?]  with  the  ivashing  of  water  by  the  word  ;  that  he 
might  PRESENT  IT  TO  HIMSELF  A  Glorious  Chukch,  7iot  hav- 
ing spot  ?ior  lorhikle,  nor  any  such  thing ;  but  that  it  should 
be  Holy  and  without  blemish.  -  -  For  no  man  ever  yet  hated 
his  oumfiesh,  [so,  'the  Lord  abhorreth  nothing  which  His 
hands  have  made,'  and  Jesus  loveth  his  enemies,]  but  nour- 
isheth  and  cherisheth  it,  even  as  the  Lord  his  Church.  For  ' 
\ve#  are  members  of  his  BODY,  of  his  flesh  aud  of  his 
bones,  [every  soul  is  a  necessary  member  of  the  everlasting: 
church,  in  some  sphere  or  other, — read  1  Cor.  xii.]  For 
this  cause,  (as  it  is  written  concerning  marriage  in  general,) 

*  There  are  about  a  hundred  passages  in  the  'vritings  of  Paul,  where 
he  tlius  familiarly  speaks  in  tiie  name  of  the  wliole  race  and  universal 
Family  to  which  lie  belongs,  using  the  terms  We,  Us,  Our,  Ye,  &.c. 
as  a  Representative  of  the  broad  Fraternity  of  his  kind,  which  onr  Oppo- 
■ing  Christians  are  accustomed  to  cramp  and  narrow  down  in  their  inter- 
pretations, to  the  pent-up,  ungracious  measure  of  human  selfishness,  and 
anti-christian  illiberality.  This  is  often  done  at  gieat  expense  to  subject, 
appositeness,  and  common  sense,  and  without  regard  lo  context,  the 
whole  tenor  and  design  of  tlie  Gosjiel,  and  the  plainest  principles  of  rea- 
son. Would  that  these,  however,  were  the  only  expressions  in  which 
the  mind  of  the  Aposile  comprehended  and  addressed  all  the  children  of 
•the  one  God  and  Father  of  All,'  which  have  lo  suffer  the  abuse  of  such 
shrivelled  expositions.  What  better  treatment  do  those  plain,  universal 
terras,  <All,'  'All  Men,'  'All  Things,'  &c.  which  are  quite  as  nu- 
merous as  the  former  class,  experience  at  their  hands  1 


iSO  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

shall  a  man  leave  his  father  and  mother  and  be  joined 
unio  his  wife,  and  they  two  shall  be  one  flesh.  This  is  a 
great  Mystery  '•  hut  I  speak  concerning  Christ  and  the 
Church:— E\^h.  V.  25--32. 

'I  will  betroth  thee  unto  me  forever;  yea,  I  will  betroth 
thee  unto  me  in  Righteousness,  and  in  judgment,  and  in 
loving-kindness,  and  in  mercies.  I  will  even  betroth  thee 
unto  me  in  faithfulness  ;  and  thou  shall  know  [this  implies 
that  they  did  not  before  know]  the  Lord,  -  -  I  will  have 
mercy  upon  her  that  had  not  obtained  mercy,  and  I  will 
SAY  TO  Them  which  were  NOT  My  People,  Thou  ART 
My  People  ;  aiid  They  shall  say.  Thou  art  our  God.' — 
Hos.  ii.  19--23. 

'For  as  a  young  man  marrieth  a  Virgin,  so  shall  thy  sons 
marry  thee  ;  and  as  the  Bridegroom  rejoiceth  over  the 
Bride,  so  shall  thy  God  Rejoice  over  thee.'—Isa.  Ixii.  5. 

♦For  thy  Maker  is  thy  Husband  ;  the  Lord  of  hosts  is  his 
name  :  and  thy  Redeemer,  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  the  God 
OF  THE  Whole  Earth  shall  he  be  called.'— Isa.  Ixiv.  5. 

'Turn  !  O  backsliding  Children,  saith  the  Lord  ;  for  I  am 
Married  unto  You  .''— Jer.  iii.  14. 

••Glorious  hopes  and  ineffable  imagininjfs  crowd  our  lioiy  theme  ; 
Feur  hath  liecn  alauffhter'd  at  the  portal,  and  Doubt  driven    back 

to   Darkness. 
For  Christ  hath  died,  and  we  in  him  ;  by  faith  his  all   is  ours, 
Cross  and  crown,  and  love  and  life,  and  we  shall  reign  in  him. 
Yea,   there  is  a    fitness  and  a  beauty  in  ascribing  immortality  to 

mind, 
That  its  energies  and  lofty  aspirations  may  have  scope    for  indefi- 
nite expansion. 
To  learn  all  things  is  privilege  of  reason,  and  that  with  a  growing' 

capability  ; 
But  in  this  liTe  of  toil  and  sin,  we  scarce  attain  to  alphabets." 
"The  Will  of  God  is  love  ; 
But  Love  hath  promised  Life,  and  therefore  shall  we  live. 
So  long  as  He  is  God,  we  sliall  be  His  creatures." 

Proverbial  Philosophy. 

Concerning  tlie  siihjert  of  iliis  Chaplpr,  tlier°  i.«  an  interesting,  scriptu- 
ral, riiriixis  ireali.-f  l>y  UiP  relfbrateil  Rf.li.v,  entilleil,  '■Union  ;  the  Con- 
tanguinity  and  Affinity  between  Christ  and  his  Church,'  in  which  the  doctrine 
ia  ijfaiiiifiilly  developed,  and  strongly  suptainnd.  This  is  the  work  which 
was  chiefly  inslrnmental  in  the  conversion  of  Murrai.  There  is  a  cheap 
12  1-2  cent  American  Edition  of  it. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  131 


PROPOSITION  SEVENTEENTH. 

The    Intelligent    Spirits    of    All   Flesh   shall    Ultimately 
SERVE  and  ADORE  their  Maker  and  Redeemer. 

PROOFS, 

'All  His  Works  shall  Praise  Him.' — Ps.  cxlv.  10.  'Let 
Every  Thing  that  hath  Breath,  [the  true  translation  is  here, 
— Eoery  Thing  that  hath  Breath  shall]  Praise  the  Lord.' 
— Ps.  cl.  6. 

^  All  the  Ends  of  the  World  shall  Remember  and  Turn 
unto  the  Lord  ;  and  All  the  Kindreds  of  the  Nations 
shall  Worship  before  Him.' — Ps.  xxii.  27. 

'All  Natioxs  whom  Thou  hast   Made    shall  come    and 
Worship  before  Thee,0  Lord,  and  shall  Glorify  Thy  name.', 
— Ps.  Ixxxvi.  9. 

'O,  Thou  that  hearest  prayer,  unto  Thee  shall  All 
Flesh  come.' — Ps.  Ixxxv.  2. 

^All  the  Earth  shall  Worship  Thee,  and  shall  Sing  unto 
Thee;  they  shall  Sing  unto  Thy  name.' — Ps.  Ixvi.  4. 

'All  they  that  go  down  to  the  Dust  shall  Bow  before 
Him.'— Ps.  xxii.  29. 

'■All  Kings  shall  fall  down  before  him,  (Messiah ;)  All 
Nations  shall  Serve  him  ;  -  -  Men  shall  be  Blessed  in 
him;  All  Nations  shall  call  him  Blessed.' — Ps.  Ixxii. 11,19. 

'AH  the  Kings  of  the  Earth  shall  Praise  Thee,  O  Lord, 
when  they  hear  the  words  of  Thy  mouth.' — Ps.  cxxxviii.  4. 

'And  there  was  given  unto  him  Dominion,  Glory,  and  a 
Kingdom,  [that  kingdom,  be  it  remembered,  is  a  spiritual 
kingdom, — it  is  'not  of  this  ioorld.,'''\  that  All  People,  Na- 
tions, AND  Languages  should  Serve  him.' — Dan.  vii.  14. 

'The  Kingdom  of  the  Most  High  is  an  Everlasting  King- 
dom, and  All  Dominions  shall  Serve  and  Obey  Him.' — Dan. 
V;iii.  27. 

'God  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and  hath  given  him  a 
name  which  is  above  every  name,  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus 


132  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

Every  Knke  should  Bow,  of  Things  in  Heaven,  and 
Things  i?i  Earth,  and  of  Things  Undpr  the  Earth,  and  that 
EviiiiY  ToNfiUE  should  Confess,  that  Jcsns  is  Lord,  to  the 
Glory  of  God,  the  Father.'— Phil.  ii.  9--11. 

'1  am  the  Lord,  and  there  is  None  else  !  I  have  Sworn 
by  Myself,  the  word  hath  gone  out  of  My  mouth  in  Righ- 
teousness, and  shall  not  return  :  That  unto  Me,  Every 
Knee  shall  Bow,  and  Every  Tongue  shall  swear,  In  the 
Lord  have  I Ri ghteousness  aiid  Strength  .'' — Isa.  xlv.  23,  24. 

'As  I  Live,  saith  the  Lord,  Every  Knee  shall  Bow  to  Me, 
and  Every  Tongue  shall  confess  to    God.' — Rom.  xiv.  IL 

'My  House  [the  Gospel  Kingdom]  shall  be  called  a  House 
of  Prayer  for  All  People.' — Isa.  Ivi.  7. 

'I  will  make  the  place  of  My  feet  Glorious.  The  Sons 
of  them  that  afflicted  thee  shall  also  come  bendinfr  unto  thee. 
['Zion']  and  All  they  that  Despised  thee  shall  Bow  them- 
selves clown  at  the  soles  of  thy  feet.' — Isa.  Ix.  14. 

'The  Lord  God  will  cause  Righteousness  and  Praise  to 
spring  forth  before  All  the  Nations.' — Isa.  Ixi.  IL 

'The  Wrath  of  Man  shall  Praise  Him.'— Ps.  Ixxxvi.  10. 
'Satan  shall  Worship  the  Lord  ITS  God,  and  Him  only 
shall  it    Servo.' — Mat.  iii.  10. 

'God  shall  Bless  us,  and  All  the  Ends  of  the  Earth  shall 
Fear  Him.' — 'Let  All  the  People,  [rather,  All  People  smma^ 
Praise  Thee,  O  God.'— Ps.  Ixvii.  7,  3,  and  5. 

'Who  shall  not  Fear  Thee,  O  God,  and  Glorify  Thy 
name  ?  [^  whole  vast  Universe  of  Thy  Creatures,  eternally. 
answers  Orthodox-dom.]  All  Nations  shall  come  and 
Worship  before  Thee,'  adds  the  Revelator. — Rev.  xv.  4. 

'And  then  shall  Every  Man  have  Praise  of  God.' — 1  Cor. 
iv.  5. 

*I  beheld,  and  lo !  a  Great  Multitude,  which  No  Man 
could  number,  of  (properly  rendered,  even)  All  Nations,  and 
Kindreds,  and  People,  and  Tongues,  stood  before  the 
Throne  and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and 
palms  in  their  hands,  and  cried  with  a  loud  Voice,  Salva- 
tion unto  our  God  which  sittcth  upon  the  Throne,  and  unto 
the  Lamb,'    &c.  to  end   of  Chapter. — Rev.  vii.  9.      Good 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  133 

Critics  agree  with  us  in  referring  the  prophetical  language 
of  this  chapter  to  the  period  of  the  Restoration,  'in  the  Dis- 
pensation of  the  Fulness  of  Times.' 

'Then  will  I  Turn  to  the  People  a  pure  language,  that 
they  may  ALL  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  Serve 
Him  with  one  consent.' — Zeph.  iii.  9. 

'And  Every  Creature  xohicli  is  in  Heaven,  and  on  the 
Earth,  and  Under  the  Earth,  and  Such  as  are  in  the  Sea, 
AND  ALL  THAT  ARE  IN  THEM,  heard  I  saying,  Blessing,  and 
Honor,  and  Glory,  and  Power,  be  unto  Him  that  sitteth  upon 
the  Throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb,  forever  and  ever  !' — Rev. 
V.  13. 

'O,  Praise  the  Lord,  All  ye  Nations ;  Praise  Him  All  ye 
People.  For  His  Merciful  Kindness  is  great  toward  us,  and 
the  Truth  of  the  Lord  endureth  forever  !  Praise  Ye  the 
Lord.'— 117th  Psalm. 

'Bless  the  Lord,  All  His  Works,  in  All  places  of  His 
Dominion  !     Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul !' — Ps.  ciii.  22. 

"And  thus,  on  the  Grand  and  final  Consummation,  when, 
every  will  shall  be  subdued  to  the  Will  of  Good  to  All,  our 
Jesus  will  take  in  hand  the  resigned  cordage  of  our  hearts. 
He  will  tune  them  as  so  many  instruments,  and  will  touch 
them  with  the  finger  of  his  own  divine  feelings.  Then 
shall  the  Wisdom,  and  the  Might,  and  the  Goodness  of  our 
God,  become  the  wisdom,  might,  and  goodness  of  All  His 
intelligent  creatures.  The  happiness  of  each  shall  multiply 
and  overflow,  in  the  wishes  and  participation  of  the  happi- 
ness of  All.  The  Universe  shall  begin  to  resound  with  the 
song  of  congratulation,  and  All  Voices  shall  break  forth  in 
an  eternal  hallelujah  of  praise  transcending  praise,  and  glory 
transcending  glory  to  God  and  the  Lamb !  There  shall  be 
no  lapse  thenceforward,  no  falling  away  forever!  But  God 
in  Christ,  and  Christ  in  his  Redeemed,  shall  be  a  Will  and 
a  Wisdom,  and  an  unction,  and  a  Righteousness,  and  a 
Goodness  and* a  Graciousness,  and  a  glory  rising  on  glory, 
and  a  blessing  rising  on  blessedness,  through  an  ever  begin- 
ning to  a  never-ending  eternity  !" — Brooke's  '■Fool  of  Qual- 
ty,'  a  work  strongly  Recommended  by  Dr.  Adam  Clarke. 

8 


134  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

"Round  as  we  jjnze  on  llio  worka  of  creation. 

Wisdom  and  Goodness  in  all  things  we  see; 
But  brighter  by  far  in  Tliy  Plan  of  Salvation, 

Sliirieih  the  Grace  thai  proceedelh  from  Thee  ! 
Forward  we  look,    and   tlie  brightneHS  of  j/lory, 

Dawnelh  resplendent  from  mansions  above, 
Riinsom'd  from  sorrow  eich  soul  shall  adore  Thee, 

Fili'd  with  the  Iruils  of  Unsearchable  Love  ! 

Darkness  and  doubting  forever  aboiish'd, 

Sighing  and  sorrow  forever  shall  cea^e  ; 
The  powers  of  evil  subdii'd  and  demolish'd, 

Siiali  make  universal  the  Kmgdom  o(  Peace  ! 
Thou  ol  Salvation  tlie  Author  and  Giver, 

Oft  shall  rementbrance  Thy  mercies  recall, 
Landed  and  hallow'd  forever  and  ever. 

Be  the  Creator  and  Saviour  of  All  !" 

Itev.  Abkl  C.  Thomas 


PROPOSITION    EIGHTEENTH. 

Every  Alienated  and  Re.heUious  Child  nf  the  Lord's  Family, 
shall  be  SUBDUED  and  RECONCILED  to  Him 
through  Christ. 

PROOFS. 

'Then  cometh  the  End,  Avhen  he  shall  hnve  Put  down 
All  rule,  and  All  authority  and  poiocr.' — 1  Cor.  xv.  24. 

'For  he  must  reign  till  he  hath  Put  All  Enemies  under 
his  feet.' — 25. 

'He  hath  Put  All  Things  under  his  feet.' — 27. 

'He,  which  did  Put  All  Things  under  him,' — 27. 

'All  Things  shall  be  Subdued   unto  him,' — 28. 

'Him  that  Put  All  Things  under  him.' — 28. 

'God  shall  be  ALL  IN  ALL.'— 28. 

'All  Things  are  of  God,  who  hath  Reconciled  Us  to  Him- 
self by  Jesus  Christ,  and  hath  given  Us  the  ministry  of 
Reconciliation,  to  wit:  that  God  was  in  Christ  Reconciling 
{Himself  unto  the  World?)  THE  WORLD  unto  Himself.' 
—2  Cor,  V,  18,  19. 

'According  to  the  working  whereby  He  is  able  to  Subdue 
All  Things  unto  Himself.' — Phil.  iii.  21. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  135 

'For  it  pleased  the  Father  that  in  Christ  should  All  Ful- 
ness dwell ;  -  -  and  to  Reconcile  All  Things  to  himself, 
whether  Things  on  Earth,  or  Things  in  Heaven.' — Col.  i. 
20.  The  terna  'All  Things^  occurs  Jive  times  in  immediate 
connection  with  this  passage,  and  no  'Orthodox'  Expositor 
ever  pretends,  or  has  ever  ventured  to  contract  the  todcer- 
sality  of  that  phrase  in  either  of  those  instances.  But  the 
instant  they  light  upon  this  20th  verse,  like  the  two  or  three 
thousand  years  leap  they  are  accustomed  to  make  in  the 
xxivth  of  Matthew,  the  identical  language  is  metamorphosed 
into  altogether  a  different  meaning  !     O,  Consistency  ! 

'God  hath  set  him  at  His  own  right  hand,  in  heavenly 
places,  (ax  above  All  principality,  and  power,  and  might,  and 
dominion,  (except  Lucifer's  think  you  ?)  and  Every  Name 
that  is  named,  not  only  in  this  world,  but  in  that  which  is 
to  come  ;  and  hath  Put  All  Things  under  his  feet,  and 
gave  himself  to  be  the  Head  over  All  Things,  to  the  Church,- 
which  is  his  Body,  (see  Prop.  XI.)  the  Fulness  of  Him  that 
FILLETH  ALL  IN  ALL.'— Eph.  i.  18--24. 

'Unto  him,  ['Shiloh,'  the  Messias,]  shall  the  Gathering 
of  THE  People  be.' — Gen.  xlix.  10. 

'Jesus  Christ,  after  he  had  offered  one  Sacrifice  for  Sins, 
forever  sat  down  at  the  Right  Hand  of  God,  from  thence 
expecting  till  his  Enemies  be  made  his  footstool.' — Heb.  x. 
12,  13. 

'Thou  hast  Put  All  Things  in  Subjection  under  his  feet. 
For  in  that  He  Put  ALL  in  Subjection  under  him,  he  left 
NOTHING  that  is  not  Put  under  him.  But  now,  we  see 
NOT  Yet,  All  Things  Put  under  him.' — Heb.  ii.  8.  Physi- 
cally, and  governmentally,  All  Things  are.,  already,  in  sub- 
jection to  Christ;  for  'The  Father  hath  delivered  all  things' 
and  committed  all  judgment,  into  his  hands,  and  given  him 
all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth.'  But  the  great,  universal 
Spiritual  Subjection  which  is  contemplated  in  the  Gospel 
through  his  glorious  reign  in  that  heavenly  Kingdom  of 
Zion  which  'ruleth  over  All,'  and  which  'cometh  not  by  ob- 
servation,' 'toe  see  Not  Yet.' 

'The  casting  away  of  Israel,  shall  be  the  Reconciling  of 
THE  WORLD.'— Rom.  xi.  15. 


136  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

'When  we  were  Enemies,  we  were  Reconciled  to  God 
by  the  Death  of  His  Son.' — Rom.  v.  10. 

'We  joy  in  God,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom 
We  have  now  received  the  Atonement,'  [the  Reco7icilialion.) 
Notice  that  it  is  Us  who  are  to  receive  the  atonement  or  re- 
conciliation., for  We  are  the  unreconciled  party,  and  not  our 
Maker,  because  He  is  of  one  mind  and  unchangeable,  and 
therefore  was  He  ^zeue?- unreconciled.  Did  He  send  the 
Saviour  in  order  that  He  mi^ht  love  the  world  ?  No  ;  for 
'He  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  sent  His  only-begotten  Son.' 
How  contrary  this  to  the  teaching  of  the  Methodist  and 
Episcopal  Articles :  "Christ  truly  suffered,  was  crucified, 
dead,  and  buried,  to  Reconcile  His  Father  to  Us,"  &c. 

Calmet  says,  respecting  the  word  Atonement,  "We  have 
evidently  lost  the  true  import  of  this  word,  by  our  present 
manner  of  pronouncing  it.  When  it  was  customary  to 
pronounce  the  word  one  as  own,  in  the  time  of  our  transla- 
tors, the  word  atonement  was  resolvable  into  parts,  at-one- 
MENT,  or  the  means  of  being  at  one,  i.  e.  reconciled,  in  fel- 
lowship." The  word  occurs  but  once  in  the  English  N.  T. 
its  original  being  always  elsewhere  properly  rendered  Re- 
conciliation. 

'He  will  send  forth  judgment  unto  {endless  damnation?) 
VICTORY  !'— Mat.  xii.  20. 

'I  have  Overcome  the  World.' — John  xvi.  33. 

'Behold,  All  they  that  were  incensed  against  thee  shall 
be  ashamed,  (see  also  Isa.  xlv.  25,)  and  confounded  ;  they 
shall  be  as  nothing,  (in  their  deep  humility.)  They  that 
strive  with  thee  shall  be  melted.  Thou  shalt  seek  them, 
and  shall  not  find  them,  (as  such,)  even  them  thatcontended 
with  thee.'— isa.  xli.  11,  12. 

'Through  the  Greatness  of  thy  Power  shall  Thine  Ene- 
mies Submit  themselves  unto  Thee  ;  they  shall  Sing  unto 
Thy  Name.'— Ps.  Ixvi.  3,  4. 

'The  Lord  of  Hosts  shall  Defend  His  (elect)  People,  and 
they  shall  devour  and  Subdue   the    Enemies.' — Zech.  ix.  15. 

'The  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  Sit  thou  on  my  right  hand, 
till  I  make  thine  Enemies  thy  footstool.  The  Lord  shall 
send  the  rod  of  thy  strength  out  of  Zion  ;  Rule  thou  in  the 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  137 

rnidst  of  thine  Enemies.  Thy  People  shall  be  Willing, 
(who  were  not  willing  before,)  in  the  Day  of  thy  Pmver.^ — 
Ps.  ex.  1--3. 

'The  Lord  shall  go  forth  like  a  Mighty  Man  ;  he  shall 
stir  up  jealousy  like  a  man  of  war  ;  he  shall  Prevail  against 
his  Enemies.' — Isa.  xlii.  13. 

'O,  clap  your  hands,  All  Ye  People  ;  Shout  unto  God 
with  the  Voice  of  Triumph  !  For  the  Lord  Most  High  is 
terrible  ;  He  is  a  Great  King  over  All  the  Earth.  He  shall 
Subdue  the  People  under  us,  and  the  Nations  under  our 
feet.  -  -  Sing  praises  unto  God,  sing  praises  !  Sing  praises 
unto  our  People,  sing  praises,  For  God  is  the  King  of  All 
the  Earth !  Sing  Ye  praises  with  understanding.  God 
reigneth  over  the  Heathen !  He  sitteth  upon  the  Throne  of 
His  holiness!' — Ps.  xlvii.  1--8;   See  also,  xcvii.  1—7. 

'And  I  heard,  as  it  were,  the  Voice  of  a  Great  Blultitude, 
and  as  the  Voice  of  Many  Waters,  and  as  the  Voice  of 
Miijhty  Thunderings,  saying.  Alleluia!  for  the  Lord  God 
OMNIPOTENT  Reigneth  .''—Rev.  xix.  6. 

Wide  o'er  the  world  a  King  shall  reign, 
And  righteousness  and  Peace  maintain. 
His  gracious  sceptre  he  shall  wield, 
Till  every  foe  in  love  shall  yield  ; 
The  conquests  of  His  truth  shall  show. 
What    an    Almighty  arm    can  do. 
The  alienated   and    betray'd, 
Re-born  and  willing  subjects  made, — 
The  myriad  hosts  in  heav'n  shall  meet, 
The  Family  of  our  Race  complete. 


133  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 


PROPOSITION  NINETEENTH. 

Christ  shall  contiime  to  Reign  vpo7i  the  Jvdgment  Throne 
oj  His  Kingdom,  until  All  shall  be  KEDEEMED 
FROM  SIN,  and  Saved  in  Righteousness. 


'As  for  [die  nature  and  olijert  of]  His  Juucmkkts,  Ihey  have  not  Knottm 
them.' — I'bHling  exivii.  20. 

'Why  dost  thou  judge  thy  brother?  or  why  dost  thou  set 
at  nought,  (value  at  nothing,)  thy  brother?  For  we  shall 
ALL  stand  before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,  [without 
partiality,  to  be  redeemed  from  error  and  sin,  and  re-created 
in  knowledge  and  righteousness.]  For,  as  it  is  written, 
Every  Knee  shall  bow  to  Me,  and  Every  Mo^ith  confess,'' — ► 
Rom.xiv.  11,  that  'in  the  Lord  have  they  righteousness 
and  strength.' — Isa.  xlv.  24. 

'He  hath  appointed  a  Day,  [a  Period,]  in  which  He  will 
Judge  THE  WORLD  in  Righteousness,  by  that  Man 
whom  He  hath  ordained,  whereof  He  hath  given  Assur- 
ance UNTO  ALL  MEN.' — Acts  xvii.31. 

'Now  is  the  Judgment  of  this  World,  {commenced  ;'\  now 
shall  the  Prince  of  this  world  [Evil]  be  cast  out.  And  I,  if 
I  be  lifted  up  from  the  Earth,  will  draw  ALL  MEN  unto 
me.'— John  xii.  31,  32. 

'The  Father  hath  committed  All  Judgment  to  the  Son, 
that  ALL  MEN  should  honor  the  Son.'— John  v.  22. 

'The  Lord  shall  have  washed  away  the  filth  of  the  daugh- 
ter of  Zion,  and  shall  have  Purged  the  filth  of  Jerusalem  by 
the  spirit  o/"  Judgment,  and  the  spirit  of  burning.' — Isa.iv.4. 

'When  thy  Judgments  are  in  the  Earth,  the  Inhabitants 
of  the  World  will  learn  righteousness.' — Isa.  xxvi.  9. 

'In  Mercy  shall  the  Throne  be  established  ;  and  he  shall 
sit  upon  it  in  Truth  in  the  sanctuary  of  David,  Jtidging, 
seeking  Judgment,  and  hasting  Righteousness.' — Is.  xvi.  5. 

'O,  Sing  unto  the  Lord  a  New  Song  ;  for  He  hath  done 
marvellous  things  !  His  right  hand  and  His  holy  arm  hath 
gotten  Him  the  Victory  !  The  Lord  hath  made  known 
His  Salvation;  His  Righteousness  hath  He  openly  showed 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  l^if 

in  the  sight  of  the  Heathen.  He  hath  remembered  His 
Mercy  and  His  Truth  towards  the  house  of  Israel.  All  the 
Ends  of  the  Earth  have  see7i  the  Salvation  of  oxlt  God  ! — 
Make  a  joyful  noise  unto  the  Lord,  All  the  Earth  !  Make 
a  loud  noise,  and  Rejoice,  and  sing  Praises!  Sing  unto  the 
Lord  with  the  harp ;  with  the  harp  and  the  voice  of  a 
psalm.  With  trumpets  and  sound  of  cornet,  make  a  joyful 
noise  before  the  Lord,  the  King  !  Let  the  sea  roar,  and  the 
fulness  therof;  the  World,  and  they  that  dwell  therein! 
Let  the  fioods  clap  their  hands ;  let  the  hills  be  Joyful  to- 
gether before  the  Lord  !  For  He  cometh  to  Judge  the  Earth  ; 
with  Righteousness  shall  He  Judge  The  World,  and  tlU 
People  with  Equity.'' — 98th  Psalm. 

'Behold  he  cometh  with  clouds,  and  Every  Eye  shall 
see  him,  and  they  even  which  pierced  him  :  and  All  the 
Kindreds  of  the  Earth  shaW  grieve  (in  bitterness  for  their 
sins,)  because  of  him.     Eve7i  so  ;  Amen.'— Rev.  i.  7. 

'Thou  shall  sigh,  [in  deep  humiliation  and  repentance,] 
for  t|ie  Tidings,  because  it  cometh  ;  and  Every  Heart  shall 
melt,  and  All  Hands  shall  be  feeble,  and  Every  Spirit  shall 
faint,  and  All  Knees  shall  be  weak  as  water.  Behold  it 
cometh,  and  shall  be  brought  to  pass,  saith  the  Lord  God.'— 
Ezek.  xxi.  7. 

'The  Creation  itself  also  shall  be  Delivered  from  the 
Bondage  of  Corruption,  into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the 
Children  of  God.'— Rom.  viii.  21. 

'Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  white  as 
snow;  though  they  be  red,  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as 
wool.'— Isa.  i.  18.  For  the  Lord  came  to  save  the  very 
^chief  of  Sinners,  and  'to  Put  Away  Sin,'  entirely. 

'He  shall  baptise  You  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  with  [the 
dross-consuming]  Fire;  whose  Fan  is  in  His  hand,  and  He 
will  thoroughly  Purge  His  floor,  and  Gather  His  wheat  into 
His  garner  ;  but  he  will  hum  wp  the  chaff  with  unquencha- 
ble fire.' — Mat.  iii.  11,  12.  'For  the  Son  of  Blan  came  not 
to  destroy  mens'  lives,  but  to  Save  them.' 

'Sin  shall  not  have  Dominion  over  You,  for  we  are  under 
Grace.' — Rom.  vi.  14. 

'Thou  hast  forgiven  \taken  away]  the  Iniquity  of  the  Peo- 


140  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

pie,  thou  hast  covered  all  their  Sin  ;  Thou  hast  taken  away 
all  thy  wrath.'— Ps.  Ixxxv.  2. 

'I,  even  I,  am  He  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgresrions  for 
mine  own  sake,  ami  will  not  remember  thysins.' — Is.xliii.25. 

All  the  Kindreds  of  the  Earth  shall  be  Blessed,  by  being 
hinted  away  Every  One  from  his  iniquities. — Acts  iii.  26. 

'Him  that  Quickencth  All  Things.' — 1  Tim.  vi.  13. 

Paul  expected  that  Every  Man  shall  be  presented  Perfect 
in  Christ  Jesus  through  the  Gospel. — Col.  i.  28. 

'Thy  Salvation  which  Thou  hast  prepared  before  the 
face  of  All  People.'— Lvike  ii.  31. 

'The  crooked  shall  be  made  straight,  and  the  rough  ways 
smooth,  and  All  Flesh  shall  see  the  Salvation  of  our  God.' 
—Luke  iii.  6. 

'Other  sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of  this,  (the  elect  be- 
lievers') Fold.  Them  also  must  I  bring,  and  They  shall 
hear  my  voice  ;  and  there  shall  be  ONE  FOLD,  AND 
ONE  SHEPHERD.'-Johnx.  16. 

'This  is  the  Covenant  I  will  make  with  them  after  those 
days,  saith  the  Lord  ;  I  will  Put  My  laws  into  their  hearts, 
and  in  their  minds  I  will  Write  them,  and  their  Sins  and 
Iniquities  ivill  I  Remember  no  more.' — Heb.  x.  16,  17. 

'It  pleased  the  Father  that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell, 
to  reconcile  All  Things  to  himself,  and  in  the  body  of  his 
flesh  to  present  You  ('that  were  sometimes  Alienated,  and 
Enemies  in  your  minds  by  wicked  works,')  holy,  and  un- 
blamable, and  unreprovable  in  His  sight. ''—-Co],  i.  19,  21. 

'The  fall  of  Israel  shall  be  the  Riches  of  THE  WORLD.' 
—Rom.  xi.  12. 

'We  trust  in  the  Living  God  as  the  Saviour  of  ALL 
MEN,  especially  of  those  that  believe.' — 1  Tim.  iv^  10. 

'Christ,  THE  Saviour  of  the  World.' — John  iv.  42. 

'Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  -  -  Deliver  Us  from  Evil.' 
Mat.  vi.  13. 

"Each  of  the  Pow'rs  of  the  Grace  Divine, 
Hath  had  its  dispensation, — hath  it  now  ; 
The  Father  by  His  Prophets,  and  the  Son 
In  his  own  days,  by  his  own  deeds, — and  now, 
The  Spirit,  by  the  ministry  of  Christ;  [see  2  Cor.  3.  8.  &c.] 
And  thus,  by  Law,  by  Gospel,  and  by  Grace, 
The  scheme  of  God's  Salvation  is  complete. 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  141 

Salvation  then  is  threefold  in  God's  Plan, 
So  under  one  or  otlier,  All  may  come  : 
By  Will  of  God  alone, — by  F'uiih  in  Christ, 
And  by  Repentance,  or  Good  Works,  or  Grace." 

Bailey. 

We  have  an  extract  to  insert  here  from  a  discourse  by 
Wesley,  on  Gen.  iii.  15,  which  is  strongly  confirmative  both 
of  our  argument,  and  of  that  good  man's  leaning  to  Univer- 
salism :  "Can  the  Creator  despise  the  work  of  His  own 
hands  ?  Surely,  that  is  impossible.  Hath  He  not,  then, 
provided  a  Remedy  for  all  these  Evils?  Yes,  verily  He 
hath!  And  vl  sufficient  [efTectua!]  remedy,  every  iray  ade- 
quate to  the  Disease,  He  hath  fullilled  His  word  ;  He  hath 
given  'the  Seed  of  the  woman  to  Bruise  the  serpent's  head.'' 
Here  is  a  remedy  for  all  our  guilt ;  'he  bore  all  our  sins  in 
his  body  on  the  tree  ;'  and  'if  any  man  sin,  we  have  an 
Advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  Righteous.' — 
Behold,  then,  both  the  Justice  and  Mercy  of  God  !  His 
Justice  in  punishing  sin,  and  His  Mercy  in  providing  a  Lni- 
versal  Remedy,  for  Unirersal  Evil.  In  appointing  the 
second  Adam  to  die  for  all  who  had  died  in  the  first,  so  that, 
'As  in  Adam  all  died,  so  in  Christall  should  be  made  alive  ;' 
that  'as  by  one  man's  oflTence,  judgment  came  upon  all  to 
condemnation,  so  by  the  righteousness  of  one,  the  free  gift 
might  come  upon  all  unto  justification  of  life.'  And  it  should 
be  particularly  observed,  that, 'where  sin  abounded,  grace 
does  much  more  abound.  For  'not  as  the  condemnation  so 
is  the  free  gift;'  but  we  may  gain  even  infinitely  more  than 
we  have  lost." 


'♦Time  there  hath  been  when  only  God  was  All, 
And  it  shall  be  again.     The  hour  is  nam'd 
When  seraph,  cherub,  anuel,  saint,  man,  fiend, 
Made  pure,  and  unbelievably  uplift 
Above  their  present  state,— drawn   up  to  God, 
Like  dew  into  the  air, — shall  All  be  heav'n  ; 
All  souls  shall  be  in  God,  and  sliall  be  God, 
And  nothing  but  God  be." — FEdxus. 

I 


liiZ  REASONb    FOR    OUR  HOPE. 


PROPOSITION  TWENTIETH. 

Salvation  is  Especially  for  SINNEKS,  a7id  not  for  the  Un- 
sinfid,  if  there  be  such,  for  they  would  not  Require 
llcdeniption  ;  but  the  farthest  Estranged  from  holiness, 
most  Need  Salcation,  and  will  as  surely  Obtain  it. 

PROOFS. 

'They  that  be  whole  need  not  a  Physician,  but  they  that 
are  sick.  But  go  Ye,  [ye  who  despise  and  limit  the  gra- 
ciousness  of  the  Lord,]  and  learn  what  thatmeaneth, — licUl 
Aa?;e  Mercy,  c?ifZ  NOT  Sacrifice;  fori  am  not  come  to 
call  the  Righteous  ['there  is  none  righteous,']  eut  SIN- 
NERS to  Repentance.'— Mat.  ix.  12,  13  ;  Mark  ii ;  Luke  v. 

'This  is  n  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  o{  All  acceptation 
that  Jesus  Clirist  came  into  the  world  to  Save  SINNERS,' 
even  'the  chief— \  Tim.  i.  15. 

'The  Needy  shall  not  always  be  forgotten  ;  the  expecta- 
tion of  THE  Poor  shall  not  perish  forever.' — Ps.  ix.  16. 

'I  will  Seek  that  lohich  2vas  Lost,  and  Bring  again  that 
which  was  driven  away,  and  will  bind  up  ihal  which  was 
broken,  and  will  strengthen  that  which  was  Sick.'' — Ezek. 
xxxiv.  16. 

'Thou,  O  God,  hast  prepared  Thy  Goodness  for  the 
Poor.'— Ps.  Ixviii.  10. 

'The  Son  of  Man  is  come  to  Save  [not  the  already  saved, 
not  those  who  should  save  themselves, — these  are  the  posi- 
tions of  Partialism  ;  but]  that  avhicii  was  Lost.'— Luke 
xix.  10. 

'When  the  Pharisee  saw  it,  he  spake  to  himself,  --  She 
is  a  Sinner.  And  Jesus  answering,  said  unto  him,  Simon, 
1  have  somewhat  to  say  unto  thee.— And  he  saith.  Master, 
say  on. — There  was  a  certain  creditor  which  had  two  debt- 
(»rs  :  the  one  ovved_/?fe  himdred  pence,  and  the  other  fifty. 
And  when  they  had  nothing  to  pay,  he  frankly /or^azjc  them 
BOTH.  Tell  me  therefore  which  of  them  will  lovehim  most  ? 
Simon  answered,  I  suppose  that  he  to  whom    he  forgave 


REASOKS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  143 

most. — And  he  said  unto  him,  Thou  hast  rightly  judged. 
-  -  -  To  whom  little  is  forgiven,  the  same  loveth  little.'— 
Luke  vii.  39-47. 

'When  they  came  that  were  hived  about  the  eleventh 
hour,  the}'  received  every  man  a  penny.  But  when  the 
first  came,  they  supposed  that  they  should  have  received 
more.  But  they  likewise  received  every  man  a  penny.— 
And  when  they  had  received  it,  they  murmured  against  the 
Good  man  of  the  house,  saying,  These  last  have  wrought 
but  one  hour,  and  thou  hast  made  them  equal  unto  us, 
which  have  borne  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day.— But  he 
answered  one  of  them  and  said.  Friend  I  do  thee  no  wrong  ; 
did'st  thou  not  agree  with  me  for  a  penny?  Take  that 
thine  is,  and  go  thy  way;  I  will  give  unto  this  last,  eve7i  as 
unto  thee.  Is  it  not  lawful  for  me  to  do  what  I  tvill  with 
mine  ownl  Is  thine  eye  evil  because  I  am  Good?  So  the 
Last  shall  be  [as  the]  First,  and  the  First  [as  the]  Last,'  fok 
Many  [the  Mass,  Mankind,]  are  Called,  but  Few,  [the 
Elect,  as  a  pledge  of  the  rest,  and  not  for  their  exclusive  or 
more  ample  fruition,]  are  Chosen.' — Mat.   xx.  9--16. 

'He  shall  Judge  the  Poor  of  the  People,  He  shall  Save 
the  Children  of  the  Needy;  --  the  Souls  of  the  Needy 
He  shall  save  ;  He  shall  redeem  their  soul  from  [an  endless 
hell  ?]  deceit  and  violence.'— Ps.  Ixxii.  4,  13,  14. 

'He  will  regard  the  prayer  of  the  Destitute,' — Ps.  cii.  2. 
'Though  the  Lord  be  High,  yet  He  hath  respect  unto  the 
lowly. ^ — Ps.  cxxxviii.  6. 

'Wo  unto  them  that  decree  unrighteous  Decrees,  [does 
it  not  seem  that  this  was  especially  fore-spoken  against  the 
framefs  and  abettors  of  the  'Westminster  Catechism  ?']  and 
that  write  Grievousness  which  they  have  prescribed.  To 
turn  aside  the  Needy  from  judgment,  and  to  take  away  the 
right  from  the  Poor  of  the  People,  that  the  afflicted  may  be 
their  prey.' — Is.  x.  1,2. 

••Whil'st  far  and  wide  Thy  scatler'd  sheep, 
Great  Shepherd  !  in  the  desert  stray. 
Thy  love  by  some    is  tliought    to  sleep, 
Unheedful  of  the  wanderer's  way. 


144  REASONS    FOR    OUR    nOI'E, 

But  Truth  declares,  they  phall  be  found. 

Wherever  now  they  daikly  roam, 
Tliy  voice  sliall  throujjh  the  desert  sound. 

And  summon  every  wanderer  home. 
Upon  the  darker  ways  of  sin, 

Irrsload  olTerror't  sword  and  flame, 
Sliali  Love  descend,  for  love  can  win. 

Far  more  than  terror  can   reclaim. 
And  tliHy  shall  lirrn  their  wand'rinjj  feet. 

By  (iracc  redeem'd,  by  Love  controil'd. 
Till  Al!  at   last  in  Eden  meet. 

One,  happy.  Universal  Fold." 


PROPOSITION  TWENTY-FIRST. 

The  Salvation  through  Christ  shall  be  CO-EXTENSIVE 
ivith  the  Co7ide??matio7i  introduced  by  Adam. 

PROOFS. 

'AS,  by  the  Offence  of  one,  judgment  came  upon  All 
Men  to  Condemnation  ;  EVEN  SO,  by  the  Righteousness 
of  one,  tJie  Free  Gift  came  upon  All  Men  to  Justification 
of  Life.'— Rom.  v.  IS.     Rom.  iii.  23-27,  to  same  efTect. 

'AS  Sin  hath  reigned  unto  Death,  EVEN  SO  might 
Grace  reign,  through  Righteousness,  unto  Eternal  Life.'— 
Rom.  V.  2L 

'AS  in  Adam  All  Die.  EVEN  SO,  through  Christ,  shall 
All  be  made  Alive:— \  Cor.  xv.  22. 

'AS  the  Gentiles  in  times  past  have  not  believed,  yet  have 
now  obtained  Mercy  through  their  unbelief ;  EVEN  SO, 
have  the  Jews  also  now  not  believed,  that  through  the  Gen- 
tiles' Mercy  they  ALSO  may  obtain  Mercy.  For  God 
hath  concluded  them  ALL  [both  Jews  and  Gentile^,}  in 
Unbelief  that  He  might  have  Mercy  upon  ALL. — O,  the 
depth  of  the  Riches  !— Rom.  xi.  30-33. 

'AS  we  have  borne  the  image  of  the  Earthy,  we  shall 
ALSO  bear  the  image  of  the  Heavc7ily:—\  Cor.  xv.  49. 

'AS  by  one  man's  Disobedience  Mankind\\.  12,  18,  &c.] 
'were  made  Sinners,  SO,  by  the  Obedience  of  one,  Mankind 
shall  be  made  Righteous:-- -'Rom.  v.  19. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  145 

^WHEKE  sin  abounded,  Grace  did  [even]  MUCH  MORE 
abound.' — Rom.  v.  20.  Listen  to  this  passage  of  truthful 
criticism,  and  the  invohintary  burst  of  fervent  rapture  which 
fell,  almost  unconsciously,  it  must  have  been,  from  the  pen 
of  the  learned  Adam  Clarke,  in  his  comments  on  Rom.  v  : 
*It,'  [the  Grace  of  the  Gospel,]  he  says,  "restores  All  to  life 
at  the  resurrection,  and  over  and  above  that,  has  provided  a 
gracious  dispensation  for  /he  pardon  of  their  sins  ;  for  re- 
ducing them  to  obedience  ;  for  guarding  them  against  temp- 
tations ;  supplying  them  with  strength  and  comfort  ;  and 
for  advancing  them  to  eteryial  life.  The  Grace  of  the  Gos- 
pel extend'i  to  All  Men,  with  respect  to  the  surphisage  [i.  e. 
the  '■much  more,^]  in  which  it  exlends.  far  bcT/ond  the  conse- 
quences of  Adam's  transgression.— As  extensively,  as  deeply, 
as  Universally,  as  Sin  hath  reigned,  subjected  the  whole 
earth  and  all  its  inhabitants  unto  death,  temporal  of  the  body, 
and  spiritual  of  the  soul  ;  even  so,  as  extensively,  as  deep- 
ly, as  Universally  might  Grace  reign,  &c.  Thus, 'he  adds, 
'we  find  here  that  the  Salvation  from  sin,  is  as  Extensive  as 
the  guilt  and  contamination  of  Sin.  Death  is  conquered  ! 
Hell  disappointed  .'  The  Devil  confo7inded  !  and  Sin  to- 
tally DESTaoYEO  !  Amen  !  Hallelujah  !  The  Lord  God 
Om?iipotent  Reigneth  •'" 

'The  times  of  the  Restitution  of  All  Things,  which 
God  hath  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  All  His  holy  Prophets 
since  the  world  began.'— Acts  iii.  21.  'Every  valley  shall 
be  exalted,  every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be  made  low,  and 
the  crooked  ?\\d\\\)e  m?L(\.e  straight,  and  the  rough  places, 
smooth.  And  the  Glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  revealed,  and 
All  Flesh  shall  see  it  together.'— Isa.  xl.  4,  5- 

"Thine  for  a  gpace  are  they, — 
Yet  shalt  thou  yield  thy  treasures  up  at  last. 

Thy  giites  shall  yet  give  way, 
Thy  bolts  shall  fall, — inexorable  Past  ! 

All  that  of  good  and  fair. 
Has  gone  into  thy  womb  from  earliest  time. 

Shall  ihen  conne  back  to  wear, 
The  glory  and  the  beauty  of  its  prime- 


146  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

They  have  not  perish'd — no  ! 
Kind  words,  remember'd  voices,  onrc  so  Bweet, 

Smiles  radiant  lon<r  aiio, 
And  features,  the  great  soul's  apparent  seat  ; — 

All  shall  come  buck, — each  lie 
Of  pure  allection  shall  he   knit  again  ; 

Alone  shall  Evil  die. 
And  Sorrow  dwell   a  prisoner  in  thy  reign  !" 

William  Cullen  Brtant. 
Mr.  Sawyer  remarks  on  the  above  stanza?,— "Could  lan- 
guage express  more  beautifully  the  doctrine  of  Universalism  ? 
All  is  to  be  restored  but  Evil,  which  alone  is  to  die,  and 
have  no  resurrection  ;  and  Sorrow  itself  is  to  remain  a  pris- 
oner forever  in  the  empiie  of  the  Past." 


PROPOSITION  TWENTY-SECOND. 

The  God  of  Abraham  shall  Eedeevi  and  Glorify  All  THE 
CHILDREN  OF  ISRAEL.' 

PROOFS. 

"The  First  shall  be  last,  and  the  Last,  first."— CnRiar. 

'What,  are  we  then  better  than  the  Jews?  No,  in  no 
wise  ;  for  we  have  before  proved,  both  Jews  and  Gentiles, 
they  are  a/Z  under  Sin.  -  -  ALL  have  sinned  and  comeshorr 
of  the  glory  oi  God,  being  justified  Freely  by  His  Grace. 
-  -  Wh'ereis  boasting  then  ?     It  is  Excluded.'— Rom.  iii. 

'Hath  God  [hopelessly]  cast  away  His  People  ?  -  -  God 
hath  7iot.  cast  awav  His'Peoplc,  whom  He  forelmeiv,"  and 
(ore-ordained  to  fall.— Rom.  xi.  1,2.  'I  say  then,  have 
they  stumbled  that  they  should  [ullorly]  fall?  God  forbid.' 
— ver.  11.  'What  shall  the  Receiving  of  them  be  but  life 
from  the  dead?'— ver.  15.  'God  is  able  to  grafT  them  in 
again.  For  if  the  Gentiles  wert  cut  out  of  the  olive  tree 
which  is  wild  by  nature,  and  were  graffed  contrary  to  na- 
ture into  a  good  olive  tree  ;  how  much  more  shall  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel,  which  be  the  natural  branches,  be  grafTed 
again  into  their  own  olive-tree?  -  -  And  so  ALL  ISRAEL 
SHALL  BE  SAVED.  --For  this  is   My  Covenant   unto 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPK.  147 

ihem  saith  the  Lord,  that.  I  shall  take  awaxj  their  Sins.  •  - 
touching  the  election,  these  are  beloved  for  the  fathers' sake. 
-  -  so,  throug-h  the  Gentiles'  mercy,  these  also  shall  obtain 
mercy.' — vers.  24--31. 

'That  he  might  Reconcile  both  [Jews  and  Gentiles]  in 
ONE  BODY  by  the  cross.'— Eph.  ii.  16. 

'The  Sin  of  Israel  shall  be  Destroyed.''— ¥Lo?,cdi  x.  8. 

'The  Iniquity  of  Israel  shall  be  soiig-ht  for,  and  there  shall 
be  None  ;  and  the  Sins  of  Judah,  and  they  shall  not  he  found.'' 
Jer.  1.  20. 

'In  the  Lord  shall  All  the  Seed  of  Israel  be  justified  and 
shall  fflory.  -  Israel  shall  be  Saved  in  the  Lord  with  an 
Everlasting  Salvation ;  Ye  shall  not  be  ashamed  nor  con- 
founded world  \^duration^^  imthout  e/ic?.'— Isa.  xlv.  15,  17. 

'Let  Israel  hope  in  the  Lord,  for  with  the  Lord  there  is 
Mercy,  and  with  Him  there  is  Plenteous  Redemption. — 
And  He  shall  Redeem  Israel  from  all  his  Iniquities.' — Ps. 
cxxx.  7,  8.  'Let  Israel  hope  in  the  Lord,  from  henceforth 
and  forever.' — cxxxi.  3. 

Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  we  have  here  collected 
some  of  the  proofs,  of  the  spiritual  Redemption  only,  of  the 
house  of  Israel,  and  not  those  which  refer  to  the  future,  glo- 
rious, earthly,  National  Restoration  of  that  degenerated 
people,  to  which  event  the  Scriptural  prophecies  bear  abun- 
dant, minute,  and  luminous  testimony.  But  it  is  our  settled 
opinion,  an  opinion  for  which  there  may  be  raised  the  strong- 
est argument,  and  which  has  also  many  abettors,  that  the 
glorious  exaltation  and  moral  emancipation  of  the  rest  of 
the  nations  of  the  earth  is  greatly  dependent  upon,  and 
nearly  co-temporary  with,  the  promised  spiritual  aggrandise- 
ment of  the  Jewish  people  ;  and  that  the  ultimate  universal 
blessedness  bears  the  same  relation  to  the  period  of  the 
earthly  triumph  of  the  kingdom  of  peace,  and  that  these 
events  are,  in  fact,  in  the  light  of  revelation,  nearly  synony 
mous  in  era  and  character.  * 

"Call  thy  God  thy  Father,  and  yet  not  thine  alone, 
For  thou  art  but  one  of  Many,  the  Brotherhood  is  of  All  : 
Remember  His  hii'h  estate,  that  He  dvvelleth  Kin^  of   Heaven 
So  shall  thy  thonght.s  be  humbled,  nor  love  be  nnmix'd  with 
reverence  : 


148  REASONS  FOR  OUR  nOPE. 


Pray  for  that  blessed  time  wlien  Good  shall  triumph  over  Eyil, 
And  one  Universal  Temple  shall  echo  the  perfections  of  Jehovah.' 

Proverbial  Philonoiihy, 


PROPOSITION  TWENTY-THIRD. 

Salvation  is  Prepared  for  the  Souls  of  All  the  Nations  of 
THE  GENTILES,  thai  is,  for  All  People  besides  the 
Jeivs,  and  All  Generations  of  them,  both  Heathen  and 
Civilized. 

PROOFS. 

'And  He  said,  It  is  a  light  thing,  [comparatively,]  that 
thou  [Messias]  should'st  be  My  Servant  to  raise  up  the 
tribes  of  Jacob,  [only,]  and  to  restore  the  preserved  o{  Israel, 
[merely.]  I  will  also  give  thee  for  a  Light  to  the  Gentiles, 
that  thou  may'st  be  My  Salvation  unto  the  End  of  the 
Earth.' — Isa.  xlix.  6, 

'Remember  ye  not  the  former  things,  neither  consider  the 
things  of  Old.  Behold  I  will  do  a  New  thing  ;  now  it 
shall  spring  forth,  shall  ye  not  know  it?  I  will  even  make 
a  way  in  the  Wilderness,  and  Rivers  in  the  Desert.  The 
beast  of  the  field  shall  know  Me,  the  dragons  and  the  oicls, 
[the  very  vilest  of  men.]  Because  I  give  Waters  in  the 
Wilderness,  and  Rivers  in  the  Desert,  to  give  Drink  to  My 
People,  My  chosen.  This  People  [also]  have  I  formed  for 
Myself;  they  [even]  shall  shew  forth  My  Praise.' — Isa. 
xliii.  1S--2L 

'The  Fall  of  the  Jews  is  the  Riches  of  the  World,  and  the 
diminishing  of  them  the  Riches  of  the  Gentiles.'— 'The  cast- 
ing away  of  them  is  the  Rccoiiciling  of  the  H^orZf^.'— 'Blind- 
ness in  part  hath  happened  to  Israel,  until  the  Fubiess  of  the 
Gentiles  he  Come  m.'"-'For  of  Him,  and  through  Him, 
and  TO  Him  are  All  Things.'— Rom.  xi.  12,  15,  25,  36. 

The  Gospel  is,  that  God  shall  Justify  the  Heathen,  and 
"through  Christ,  Bless  even  All  the  Nations  and  the  Kin- 
dreds of  the  Earth,  by  redeeming  their  souls  from  iniquity. 
—Gal.  iii.  8  :   Acts  ii"i.  25. 

'I  will  set  My  Glory  among  the  Heathen,  and  ALL  THE 
HEATHEN  shall  sec  My  Judgment  which  I  have  execu- 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 


149 


ted,  and  My  hand  which  I  have  laid  upon  them.  So  Israel, 
[also,]  shall  Know  that  I  am  the  Lord,  from  thenceforward.' 
— Ezek.  xxxix.  21,  22. 

'Art  not  Thou  God  in  heaven?  And  Rulest  1  hou 
not  over  All  the  kingdoms  of  the  Heathen  ?  and  in  Thy 
hand  is  there  not  Power  and  Might,  so  there  is  None  able  to 
wWistand  Thee  ?' — 2  Chron.  xx.  6. 

♦'What  though  th'  embattl'd  legions 

Of  earth  and  sin  combine  ? 
His  pow'r  throuatiout  all  regions. 

In  conqu'ring  I^ove  shall  shine  ; 
Till  every  isle  and  nation. 

And   every  tribe  and  tongue, 
Receive  the  great  salvation. 

And  join  the  ransoni'd  throng. 
Gird  on  thy  sword  victorious, 

Inimannel,  Prin«:e  of  Peace  ! 
Thy  triumph  shall    le  glorious, 

Ere  yet  the  battle  cease." 


PROPOSITION  TWENTY-FOURTH. 

The  Lord  shall  Ultimately  Redeem  THIS  WORLD  from 
the  Dominion  of  Evil,  ivhich  is  a  Pledge  of  His  Ability 
and  Purpose  to  Redeem  All  the  sinful  Sozils  that  enter 
THE  Future  World  also,  so  that  All  His  Creation,  the 
Physical  and  Spiritual,  shall  be  Universally  Glorified. 

PROOFS. 

'And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  Last  Days,  that  the 
mountain  of  the  Lord's  house  shall  he  established  in  the  tops 
of  the  mountains,  and  shall  be  exalted  above  the  hills.  And 
All  Nations  shall  flow  unto  it;  and  rnany  people  shall  go 
and  say,  Come  ye,  and  let  us  go  up  to  the  mountain  of  the 
Lord,  to  the  House  of  the  God  of  Jacob  ;  and  He  will  teach 
us  of  His  ways,  and  we  will  walk  in  His  paths,  for  out  of 
Zion  shall  go  forth  the  Law,  and  the  word  of  the  Lord 
from  [the  New]  Jerusalem.  And  He  shall  Judge  among 
the  Nations,  and  shall  rebuke  many  people.  And  they 
shall  beat  their  swords  into  ploughshares,    and  their    spears 

9 


150  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

into  praning-hnoks  ;  nation  shall  not  lift  up  sword  against 
nation,  neillier  shall  they  learn  war  any  more.' — Is.  ii.  2—5. 

'The  wolf  also  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leop- 
ard shall  lie  down  with  the  kid,  and  the  calf,  and  young  lion, 
and  the  falling  together  ;  and  a  little  child  shall  lead  them. 
And  the  cow  and  the  bear  shall  feed,  tlieir  young  shall  lie 
down  together ;  and  the  lion  shall  eat  straw  like  the  ox ; 
and  the  suckling  child  play  about  the  nest  of  the  asp,  and 
the  weaned  child  shall  put  his  hand  upon  the  cocatrice's  den. 
They  shall  not  hurl  nor  destroy  in  All  My  holy  mountain  ; 
for  the  Earth  shall  be  full  of  the  Knowledge  of  the  Lord, 
as  the  waters  cover  the  sea.' — Isa.  xi.  6-10. 

'Tlie  People  shall  weary  themselves  of  their  very  vanity, 
and  the  Earth  shall  he  filled  with  the  Knowledge  of  the 
Glory  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea.' — Hab.  ii.  14. 

'And  the  stone  that  smote  the  image  became  a  great 
mountain,  and  filled  the  Whole  Earth.' — Dan.  ii.  35. 

'And  it  shall  be  in  that  day  that  Living  Waters  shall  go 
out  from  Jerusalem  :  half  of  them  toward  the  former  sea, 
and  half  of  them  toward  the  hinder  sea;  in  summer  and  in 
winter  shall  it  be.  And  the  Lord  shall  reign  over  All  the 
Earth  ;  in  that  day  shall  there  be  One  Lord,  and  His  name 
One.' — Zech.  xiv.  7,  9. 

'Lift  up  thine  eyes  round  about  and  behold  !  All  these 
gather  themselves  together,  and  come  to  thee,  [New  Jerusa- 
lem.] As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord,  thou  shalt  surely  clothe 
thee  with  them  All,  as  with  an  ornament,  and  bind  them 
on  thee  as  a  Bride  doclh.  For  thy  Waste  and  thy  Desolate 
Places,  and  the  land  of  thy  destruction,  shall  even  now  be 
too  narrow  by  reason  of  the  inhabitants,  and  they  that  swal- 
lowed thee  up  sl)all  be  far  away.  They  shall  say  in  thine 
ear.  The  place  is  too  straight  for  me  ;  give  place  that  I  may 
dwell,'  &c. — Isa.  xlix.  18  to  the  end  of  chapter. 

'Sing,  0  Barren,  thou  that  did'st  not  bear  ;  break  forth 
into  singing,  and  cry  aloud,  thou  that  did'st  not  travail. — 
For  more  were  the  children  of  the  Desolate,  than  the  chil- 
dren of  the  Married  Wife,  saith  the  Lord.  Enlarge  the 
place  of  thy  tent,  and  let  them  stretch  forth  the  curtains  of 
thy  habitations.   Spare  not,  lengthen  thy  cords,  and  strength- 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  151 

en  thy  stakes.  For  thou  shalt  break  forth  on  the  right 
hand  and  on  the  left ;  and  thy  seed  shall  inherit  the  Gen- 
tiles, and  cause  the  Desolate  Cities  to  be  inhabited,'  &c. 
&c. — Isa.  liv.  1~3. 

•'And  the  seventh  angel  sounded  ;  and  there  were  great 
voices  in  heaven,  saying.  The  kingdoms  of  this  world  have 
become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  His  Christ,  and 
He  shall  Eeign  forever  and  ever.' — Rev.  x.  15. 

'And  I  saw  a  New  Heaven  and  a  New  Earth  ;  for  the 
li^t  heaven  and  the  first  Earth  are  passed  away.  And 
there  was  no  more  sea.  And  I,  John,  saw  the  holy  city 
coming  down  from  God  out  of  heaven.  And  I  heard  a 
great  Voice  out  of  heaven,  saving,  Behold,  the  tabernacle  of 
God  is  with  Men,  and  He  will  dwell  with  them,  and  they 
shall  be  His  People,  and  God  Himself  shall  be  with  them 
and  be  their  God.  And  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from 
their  eyes  ;  and  there  shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow 
nor  crying,  neither  shall  there  be  a7iy  more  pain  ;  for  the 
former  things  are  passed  aivay.  And  he  that  sat  on  the 
throne  said.  Behold  I  make  All  Things  New.' — Rev.   xxi. 

"  Thus  heav'nward  all  things  tend,  for  all  was  onre 
Perfect,  and  All  at  length  must  be  Reslor'd. 
So  God  hath  wisely  Purpos'd,  who  would  else. 
In  His  dishonor'd  works  Himself  endure 
Dishonor,  and  be  wrong'd  without  redress." — Cowper. 


PROPOSITION  TWENTY-FIFTH. 

The  Dominion  of  TEMPTATION  a7id  SIN  shall  Finally 
be  Ouercome, — hiiquity  shall  be  Exhausted,  Destroyed, 
Put  Away  beyond  the  Sphere  of  Man  forever. 

PROOFS. 

■Shall  the  Throne  of  Iniquity  have  Fellowship  with  Thee,    that  frameth   Ei-U 
by     LawI'— Ps.  xciv    20. 

'Now  once  in  the  end  of  the  Age  hath  he  appeared  to 
PUT  AWAY  SIN  through  the  Sacrifice  of  himself.'— 
Heb.  ix.  26.  'He  entered  in  once  into  the  Holy  Place,  hav- 
ing obtained  Eternal  Redemption,' — ver.  12,  for '  The  People,' 


Ie2  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

even  for  'All  the  People,'  from  their 'Error*,' — vers.  7,  19. 

'Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  TAJCETH  AWAY 
THE  SIN  OF  THE  WORLD.'— John  i.  29. 

It  was  foretold  that  Messias  should  give  Reconciliation 
for  INIQUITY,  FINISH  TRANSGRESSION,  and 
MAKE  AN  END  OF  SINS,  and  Bring  in  Everlasting 
Righteousness. — Dan.  ix.  24. 

'He  gave  himself  for  Us  that  he  might  Redeem  Us  from 
All  Iniquity.' — Titus  ii.  14.  'He  took  on  him  the  Seed 
of  Abraham,  that  he  might  make  Reconciliation  for  Ae 
Sins  of  The  People.'— Heb.  ii.  17. 

'The  earnest  expectation  of  THE  CREATION  waiteth 
for  the  Manifestation  of  the  sons  of  God.' — Rom.  viii.  19. 

'THE  CREATION  itself  SHALL  be  Delivered  from 
THE  Bondage  of  Corruption.' — Rom.  viii.  21. 

'The  Whole  Creation  groaneth  and  travaileth  in  pain 
loo;e\.\\er  until  now,  [only,]  -  -  For  we  are  Saved,  hy  Hope.' 
— Rom.  viii.  22. 

'We  ourselves,  who  have  the  First-Fruits  of  the  Spirit, 
[the  elect,]  groan  within  ourselves,  loaiting  for  the  Adoption, 
even  the  Redemption  of  our  BODY.' — Rom.  viii.  23. 

"Hark  !  a  glad  voice  cheers  this  groaning  world  !  The 
Creation  shall  be  Delivered!  The  great  drama  which  has 
been  performing  upon  the  vast  theatre  of  existence  shall 
come  to  a  close  ;  we  shall  All  be  taken  behind  the  scene. 
Every  mouth  shall  be  stopped,  then  shall  we 
"  Justify  llie  ways  of  God  to  Man." 

Behold,  I  Make  All  Things  New  !  shall  thunder  from  the 
throne  of  the  Great  Eternal.  The  Creation  of  God  shall 
again  rise,  good  and  fair  as  on  the  morn  Avhen  the  sons  of 
God  shouted  for  joy.  The  effects  of  the  Curse  shall  no  more 
be  felt  or  seen.  The  Temple  of  the  Universe  shall  again 
be  filled  with  happiness,  as  in  the  days  of  innocence,  and 
through  all  the  mighty  Dome  shall  the  Triumphant  shout 
resound,  'Death,  with"  all  his  train,  is  swallowed  up  in  Vic- 
tory !  Thanks  be  to  God  who  giveth  us  the  victory,  through 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.'  " — Summerfield's  Orations. 

'Yet  a  little  while,  and  the  Wicked  shall  not  be  ;    yea, 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 


153 


thou  shall  diligently  consider  his  place,  and  it  shall  not  be.' 
— Ps.  xxxvii.  10. 

'Thou  puttest  away  all  the  wicked,  [the  wickedness,^  of  the 
earth  like  dross;  therefore  I  love  Thy  testimonies.' — Ps. 
cxix.  119. 

'He  will  have  covipassion  upon  Us  ;  He  will  Subdue  our 
Iniquities  :  Thou  wilt  cast  all  their  Sitis  into  the  depths  of 
the  sea.  Thou  wilt  perform  the  Mercy  which  Thou  hast 
Promised  to  our  Fathers  from  the  days  of  Old.' — Micah  vii. 

'Break  Thou  the  power  of  the  wicked  and  the  evil ;  seek 
out  his  wickedness /i7^  Thou  find  none.'' — Ps.  x.  15,  16. 

'Where  Sin  abounded,  Grace  did  much  more  abound.' 

'The  Lord  shall  Judge  His  People  ;  -  -  O  let  the  Wick- 
edness of  the  wicked  come  to  an  end,  but  establish  the  good.' 
— Ps.  vii.  S.  9. 

'Let  the  Sinners  be  consumed  out  of  the  earth,  and  let  the 
wicked  be  no  more.' — Ps.  civ.  25.  'As  the  whirlwind  pas- 
seth,  so  is  the  wicked  [wicked7uss]  no  more  ;  but  the  righ- 
teous [righteous7iess]  is  an  everlasting  foundation.' — Prov. 
x.  35.  Good  is  the  onl)'-  solid,  permanent,  indestructible, 
eternal  principle  in  the  universe. 

'Until  the  Law,  [only,]  Sin  was  in  the  world  ;  but  Sin  i? 
not  imputed  where  there  is  no  law,'  [but  in  the  Gospel  is 
reckoned  to  be  abolished.] — Rom.  v.  13.  'Sin  shall  not 
have  Dominion  over  you,  for  we  are  not  under  law,  but  un- 
der Grace.' — vi.  14. 

Death  shall  be  destroyed  and  swallowed  up  in  victory. 
And  'the  sting  of  Death  is  Sin.  O,  Death,  where  is  thy 
sting  ?^  [Lost  and  swallowed  up  forever,  in  the  destruction 
of  the  last  grim  enemy  !]     1  Cor,  xv.  26,  55, 57. 

"Nought  eternal  is 
But  tliat  whicli  is  of  God.     All  pain  and  woe 
Are  therefore  finite.     Ciin  the  robber  steal 
From  God  ?     [All  souls  are  His,  and  Himderiv'd, 
And  thus  are  good,  and  Gooil  alone   is   endless. 
Bui  Evil,  having  birth  from  second  causes, 
Created  things,  gross  matter,  and  their  laws, 
Is  not  (rom  all  eternity  with  God, 
But  hath  a  recent  origin,  and  thus 
Hath  not  an  endless,  but  a  casual  being. 
And  must  expire  where  its  reign  began.] 


154  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

How  wretched  liunian  goodness,  then,  and  Sin, 
How  despicable,  to  the  soul  assut'd  ; 
Since  boili  are  temporal,  limited  ;  the  one 
By  Hirn  destroy'd  who  can  alone  unmake 
That  He  haili  made  ;    the  other  perfected, 
United,  Deified,  in  the  Eternal  Good." 


Destruclion  of'-Hhe  Devil." 

'  U  God,  how  long  shall  the  Adversary  reproach  !     SShall  the  Enemy  blasphcmt 
Thy  Name  Fokevkr  1' — Ptahii  Ixxiv.  10. 

'I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  [the  tempting  principle, 
personified  as  a  serpent,  which  the  apostles  speak  of  as 
a  principle  which  is  apt  to  live  and  reign  within^  and  have 
dominion  over  us, — the  internal  impulses  of  our  evil  pas- 
sions, warring  against,  and  enticing  the  soul,]  and  the  Wo- 
man, and  between  thy  seed,  [sin,  misery,  error,  death,]  and 
her  Seed,  [Emanuel.]  It  shall  bruise,  [crush,  desstroy,] 
THY  HEAD.' — Gen.  iii.  15. 

'Now  shall  the  Prince  of  this  World  he  cast  out,  and  I 
will  draw  All  Men  unto  me.' — John  xii.  31,  32. 

'Christ  likewise  took  part  of  flesh  and  blood  ;  that  through 
death,  he  might  destroy  him  that  hath  the  power  of  death, 
that  is,  the  Devil,'  (rather  adversary,  the  opposing  power  or 
influence,  the  spirit  of  Evil.'') — Heb.  ii.  14. 

'For  this  purpose  was  the  Son  of  Cod  manifested,  that 
he  might  Destroy  the  works  of  the  Devil,'  (the  Evil.) — 
Partialists,  holding  to  the  existence  of  a  mighty,  indepen- 
dent, Antagonist  Deittj,  maintain  that  these  'works  of  the 
Devil,'  which  the  meek  and  gracious  Jesus  is  commission- 
ed to  Desire?/,  are  ^/iesoz/Z^  of  ^Ae  ?/7icAr(^,  of  whom,  not  the 
Good,  but  the  Evil  God  is  the  author  and  Father.  Yet  we 
read  that  'he  will  have  Mercy,  and  7iot  Sacrifice,''  that  'he 
came  not  to  Destroy  mens'  lives,  (or  souls,  ^psuchas,')  btxt  to 
Save  them.'  And  this  destruction  of  the  works  of  the  Evil 
is  the  way  he  will  accomplish  the  Salvation  of 'the  World.' 
If 'the  works  of  the  devil,'  mean  human  si7ifid  souls,  then 
this  passage  does  not  teach  endless  misery,  but  Annihila- 
tion ;  which  is  a  doctrine  'orthodoxy' repudiates,  as  too  mild 
a  view  of  Vindictive  Justice,  altogether.  Was  there  ever  a 
scheme  involvirig  such  'a  bundle  of  contradictions?' 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  155 

'Then  shall  that  Wicked  be  revealed,  whom  the  Lord 
shall  Consume  with  the  spirit  of  his  mouth,  and  Destroy 
with  the  brightness  of  his  coming.' — 1  Thess.  ii.  8. 

'Shall  the  prey  be  taken  from  the  mighty  ?  or  the  lawful 
captive  delivered  ?  Thus  sailh  the  Lord,  Even  the  captives 
of  the  mighty,  (those  who  are  taken  captive  by  the  spirit  of 
temptation,  see  2  Tim.  ii.  26,  Rom.  vii.  23,)  shall  be  taken 
away,  and  the  prey  of  the  terrible  [shall  be)  Delivered.  For 
I  will  contend  with  him  that  contendeth  with  thee,  and  I 
will  Save  thy  children.  And  I  will  feed  them  that  oppress 
thee  with  their  own  jiesh,  and  they  shall  be  drunken  with 
their  own  blood,  (they  shall  be  surfeited  of  their  own  sinful- 
ness,) as  with  sweet  wine.  And  All  Flesh  shall  know 
that  I,  the  Lord,  am  thy  Saviour,  and  thy  Redeemer,  the 
Mighty  One  of  Jacob.'— Isa.  xlix.  24-26. 

"  Righteousness  shall  he  as  Universal  as  unrighteous- 
ness is  now  !  Although  the  whole  creation  now  groaneth 
together,  under  the  man  of  sin,  our  comfort  is,  it  ivill  not 
always  groan.  God  will  arise  and  maintain  His  own  cause, 
and  the  Whole  Creation  shall  be  Delivered  from  Moral  and 
natural  corruption.  Sin,  and  Pain  shall  be  no  more,  &c. 
The  Whole  Race  of  Mankind  shall    know,   and  love,    and 

serve  the  Lord,  and  reign  with  Him  forever  and  ever  !" 

"While  His  creatures  travail  together  in  pain,  He  knoweth 
all  their  pain,  and  is  bringing  them  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
birth,  which  shall  be  accomplished  in  its  season.  He  seeth 
the  earnest  expectation  wherewith  the  whole  creation  waiteth 
for  that  final  manifestation  of  the  sons  of  God ;  in  which 
they  shall  be  delivered  (not  by  annihilation, ^^^mi^kAdXion  is 
not  deliverance,)  from  the  present  'bondage  of  corruption 
into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God.'  Nothing 
can  be  more  express.  Away  with  vulgar  prejudices,  and 
let  the  plain  word  of  God  take  place.  'They  shall  be  Deliv- 
ered from  the  bondage  of  corruption  into  the  glorious  liberty 
of  the  children  of  God.'  " — John  Wesley. 

"Ev'n  that  which  Mischief  meant  most  harm. 
Shall,    in  the  happy  trial,  prove  most  Glory  ; 
But  Evil  on  itself  shall  back  recoil, 
And  mix  no  more  with  goodness,  and,  at  last, 
Gather  like  soum,  and  settle  to  itself, 


156 


RKASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

Self-fed.  and  self-consum'd  ; — if  this  fail, 

The  pill.ir'd  Hrinanient  ja  roUennoss, 

And  earth's  biise  built  on  stubble  !" — Milton. 


PROPOSITION  TWENTY-SIXTH. 
SORROW  and   SUFFERING  shall  also  be  Annihilated. 

PROOFS. 

Wilt  thou  disregard  the  Consolations  which  God  furnishes  1 — Job. 

'The  Ransomed  of  the  Lord,  ['He  gave  himself  a  Ran- 
som for  ALL,'j  shall  return,  and  come  to  Zion  loith  songs 
and  Everlasting  Joy  upon  their  heads  ;  they  shall  obtain 
Joy  and  Gladness,  and  Sorrow  and  Sighing  shall  flee  away.^ 
— Isa.  XXXV.  10 

'And  the  Lord  God  shall  loipe  away  tears  from  off  All 
Faces.' — Isa.  xxv.  8. 

'I  have  satisfied  the  weary  soul,  and  replenished  Every 
sorroioful  Soul.' — Jer.  xxxi.  25. 

'And  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes,  and 
there  shall  be  no  more    Sorroio  nor  Crying,  neither  shall 

THERE    BE    ANY    MORE    PAIN.' Rev.    xxi.    4. 

'And  the  leaves  of  the  Tree  of  Life  shall  be  for  the 
healing  of  the  Nations  ;  and  there  shall  be  no  more 
Curse.' — Rev.  xxii.  2,  3. 

'Violence  shall  no  more  be  heard  in  thy  land,  wasting  nor 
destruction  within  thy  borders  ;  but  thou  shalt  call  thy  walls, 
Salvation,  and  thy  gates,  Praise.  The  sun  shall  be  no 
more  thy  light  by  day;  neither  for  brightness  shall  the 
moon  give  light  unto  thee ;  but  the  Lord  shall  be  unto 
thee  an  Everlasting  Light,  and  thy  God,  thy  Glory.  Thy 
Sun  shall  no  more  go  down  ;  neither  shall  thy  moon  with- 
draw itself.  For  the  Lord  shall  be  thine  Everlasting  Light, 
and  the  days  of  thy  Mourning  shall  be  ended.  Thy  Peo- 
ple also  shall  ALL  be  Righteous,  -  -  that  I  may  be  Glo- 
rified !"— Isa.  Ix.  18. 

"Yet,  bear  up  awhile. 

And  what  thy  bounded  view,  (which  only  sees 

A  little  part.)  deem'd  evil,  is  no  more  ; 

The  storms  of  wintry  Time  will  quickly  pass. 

And  one  unbounded  spring  encircle  All." — Thompson. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  157 


PROPOSITION  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

Universal  Knowledge  and  Truth  shall  finalhj  Prevail,  and 
IGNORANCE  and  ERROR  he  eradicated  from  All 
Intelligent  So7ds. 

"Sii'.ill  all  tlefects  of  mind,  anil  fallacies 
Of  feeling,  be  inimorial  V 


'And  in  this  mountain  shall  the  Lord  of  hosts  make  unto 
All  People,  a  Feast  of  fat  things,  a  Feast  of  wine  on  the 
lees  ;  of  fat  things//^//  of  viarroio,  of  wines  on  the  lees  loell 
refined.     And  He  will  Destroy  in  this   Mountain  the 

FACE  OF  THE     CoVERING    CAST  OVER  AlL    PeoPLE,    AND     THE 

Vail  that  is  spread  over  All  Natio>!S.  He  will  swallow 
up  Death  in  Victory:  and  the  Lord  God  will  wipe  away 
Tears  from  oft^  All  Faces ;  and  the  Rrhui,e  of  His  Peojde 
shall  He  take  aivay  from  off  All  the  Earth  :  for  the  mouth 
of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it.  And  it  shall  be  said  in  that 
day,  Lo,  this  is  our  God  ;  we  have  waited  for  Him  and  He 
will  Save  us.  This  is  the  Lord  ;  we  have  waited  for  Him; 
we  will  be  Glad,  and  Rejoice  in  His  Salvation.' — Isa.  xxv. 
6-9. 

'God,  our  Saviour,  will  have  All  Men  to  be  Saved,  and 
come  laito  the  Knowledge  of  the  Truth.'' — 1  Tim.  ii.  4. 

'And  All  thy  children  shall  be  Taught  of  the  Lord,  and 
great  shall  be  the  Peace  of  thy  children.' — Isa.  liv.  13.  'It 
is  written  in  the  Prophets,  They  ALL  shall  be  taught  of 
God.' — John  vi.  45. 

'They  shall  teach  no  more  Every  Man  his  neighbor,  and 
Every  Man  his  brother,  saying,  Know  the  Lord,  for  (I  will 
write  My  law  in  their  hearts,  and)  ALL  shall  K7ioio  Me, 
from  the  least  of  them  even  unto  the  Greatest  of  them, 
saith  the  Lord.' — Jer.  xxxi  ;  Heb.  viii. 

'Till  we  ALL  come  in  the  Unity  of  the  Faith,  and  of 

J 


15S  KEASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

the  Knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God.  unto  A  Perfect  Man, 
[ihit  all  Mankind  shall  become  as  One,  Great,  Ferfecl  Man,] 
unto  tlie  Pleasure  of  the  Stature  of  the  Fulness  ofChkist, 
-  -  IVoai  whom  the  whole  BODY,  fitly  joined  together. 
[Christ  being  'the  Head,']  and  compacted  by  thai  which 
every  joint  supplielh,  working  in  the  measure  of  Every 
Part,  makelh  increase  of  the  Body  unto  the  Edifying  of 
itself  in  Love.' — Eph.  iv.  13-16. 

'I  am  the  Light  of  The  World.' — John  viii.  12.  'Ye 
shall  Know  the  Truth,  and  the  Truth  shall  make  you 
Free,'  [from  'Sin,'  v.  34.]— viii,  32. 

'The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  like  unto  leaven  which  a 
woman  took,  and  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  till  the 
whole  ivas  Leacened.'' — Mat.  xiii.  33  ;  Luke  xiii.  31. 

'That  he  might  give  Eternal  Life  to  as  many  as  Thou 
hast  given  him  ;  ('All  Flesh,'  'All  Things,')  and  this  is  Life 
Eternal,  to  Knoiv  Thee,  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ 
whom  Thou  hast  sent.' — John  xvii.  2,  3. 

'I  will  give  them  an  heart  to  Know   Me,  saith  the  Lord.' 

Jer.  xxiv.  7.      'Therefore    My    People  shall  Know  My 

name.'' — Isa,  lii.  6. 

"Thou  who  did'st  come  to  bring, 
On  thy    redeeming    wing, 

Healing  and  sight  ; 
Health  to  the  sick  in  mind, 
Sight  to    the  inly    blind, 
O,  now,  to  All  Mankind, 

•Let  there  be  light !'  "  A.  C.  T. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  159 


PROPOSITION  TWENTY-EIGHTH. 

PEATH,  tvhichis  the  Scripl2ire  term  for  Moral  and  Natu- 
ral Corruption,  shall  be  iioalloived  np  of  Deijic  Life, 
and  Incorruptibility . 

PROOFS. 

'Death,  the  Last  Enemy,  sliall  be  Destroyed.' — 1  Cor.  xv. 
•26.  'For  as  in  Adam  All  Die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  All 
be  WADE  Alive.' — 22. 

'Death  is    swallowed  up    in  Victory  !' — 1   Cor.    xv.  54. 

'And  the  Lord  of  hosts  will  swallow  up  Death  in  Vic- 
tory  !' — Isa.  xxv.  8. 

'He  hath  Abolished  Death,  and  brought  LIFE,  and  Im- 
mortality to  light  through  the  Gospel.'— 2  Tim.  i.  10. 

•That  he  might  Destroy  Death,  and  him  that  halh  the 
power  of  Death,  that  is  the  Devil,'  [the  Evil,  for  'the  sling 
of  Death  is  Sin.') — Heb.  ii.  14. 

'I  will  Redeem  them  from  Death.  O,  Death,  I  will  be 
thy  Plagues  !' — Hos.  xiii.  14. 

'And  there  shall  be  no  more  Death.' — Rev.  xxi.  4. 

'Who  shall  Deliver  us  from  the  body  of  this  Death?' 
For  'sin  reigns  in  our  mortal  bodies,' — Rom.  vi.  12  ;  viii. 
1 1,  but  not  in  our  immortal,  for  this  is  to  be  a  glorious  body. 
Answer  :  Christ ;  who  'gave  himself  for  us  that  he  might 
Dtdive'r  us  from  this  present  evil  world.'' — Gal.  i.  4.  Is  it 
likely  that  he  will  thence  carry  us  to  some  world  that  is  in- 
finitely more  corrupt  and  miserable  than  the  present? 

'This  corruptible  must  put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mor- 
tal must  put  on  immortality.' — 1  Cor.  xv.  52,  'The  Crea- 
tion shall  be  Delivered  from  the  Bondage  of  Corruption.'' 

In  justification  of  the  sense  we  attach  to  the  words  'Death,* 
and  'Life,'  as  they  are  used  in  these  passages  which  speak 
ot  the  destruction  of  the  former,  in  the  triumph  of  the  latter, 
we  present  the  following  passages  to  show  that  the  frequent 
Scripture  usage  of  these  words  is  in  favor  of  their  interpre- 
tation here  to  relate  io  spiritual,  and  noi physical  mortality : 


\QQ  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

•To  be  carnally  minded,  is  death  ;  but  to  be  spiritually  min- 
ded is  life  and  peace.'— Roin.  ii.  6.     'We  hace  passed  from 
death  unto  life  ;    he  that  loveth   not   his  brother  abideth  in 
death.'— 1  John  iii.  14.     'If  a  man  keep  my  saying  he  shall 
nccer  see  death,'— John  viii.  51.     'She  that  liveth  in  plea- 
svire  is  dead  while  she  liveth,'—!  Tim.  v.  6.     'The  receiv- 
ing of  the  Jews  shall  be  as  life  from  the  dead. '—Rom.  xi.  15. 
'Awake  thou  that  sleepest,    and  arise   from  the  dead,   and 
Christ  shall  give    thee  light.'— Eph.  v.  14.      'Yield  your- 
selves unto  God  as  those  that  are    alive  from   the  dead.'— 
Rom.  vi.  13.     'You  hath  he  quickened,  who  were  dead  in 
trespasses  and  sins.'  -  -  'When   we  loere  dead  in  sins,  hath 
quickened  us    together    with  Christ,  and  hath  raised  us  up 
logethcr.'— Eph.  ii.  1,  5.    'Being  dead  in  your  sins  and  the 
uncircnmcision  of  your  flesh,  hath  he    Quickened  together 
with  him,  having  forgiven  you  all  trespasses.'— -Col.  ii.  13. 
'The  hour  is  coming  and  now  is,  when  the  dead  shall   hear 
the^oice  of  the.  Sou   of  God,  and  they  that  hear  shall  live.' 
John  v.  25.     'Let  the  dead  bury  their  dead.'— Mat.  viii.  22. 
'I  was  alive  without  the  law  once  ;  but  when  -  -  sin  revived, 
1  died.'— B.o\n.  vii..9.     'If  thou  wilt  enter  into  life,  keep  the 
commandments.'— Mat.  xix.  17.     -He  that  believeth  on  him 
that  sent  me,   hath  everlasting  life,  -  -  and    is  passed  from 
death  unto  life.'— John  v.  24.       'Narrow   is  the  way  which 
leadeth  unto  life,  and  few  there    be  that  find  it.'— Mat.  vii. 
14.     'In  the  way  of  righteousness  is  life  ;    in  the  pathway 
thereof  there  is  no  death.'— Vxov.  xii.  28.     See  also  Ezek. 
xviii.  and  xxxvii.  Sec.     Now   these  passages   are  with  us, 
conclusive  to  the  point,  that  when  the  Bible  affirms  the  final 
destruction  of  Death,  it  contemplates  the  glorious  universal 
resurrection  from  the  moral  death  Avhich  'has  passed    upon 
all  men  to  condemnation,'  through  that  which  fell  upon  Ad- 
am in  the  day  of  transgression  ;  that  it   announces  the  utter 
extinction  of  all  that  is  at  enmity  with  our  spiritual  nature, 
and  the  ultimate  regeneration  of  all  souls    from   the    death 
which  sin  entails  upon  them,  to  the  divine  life  of  holiness 
and  glory. 

"He  has  died  to  slay  Death  ;  he  has  risen  again  to  bring 
Mankind  from  under  the  empire  of  Hades.     AU  this  he  hasr 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  161 

done  through  his  mere  unmerited  mercy;  and  eternal  thanks 
are  due  to  God  for  this  unspeakable  Gift.  He  has  given 
us  the  Victory  over  Sin,  Satan,  Death,  the  grave,  and  Hell." 
— Dr.  Adam  Clarlte. 

•'When  destroying  Dealh  shall  die, 
Hush'd  be  every  rising  si^jh. 
Tears  be  wjp'd  from  every  eye, 

Never  more  to  fall  ; 
Then  shall  praises  fill  the  sky. 
And  songs  unto  the  Lord  Most  High, — 
The  Universal  Host  shall  cry, 

'God  is  All  in  All  !'  " 


PROPOSITION  TWENTY-NINTH. 

HELL,  whatever  it  he,  shall  also  Ultimately  Deliver  up  All 
that  were  u?ider  its  Power,  and  be  Destroyed. 

PROOFS. 
1st.  That  there  is  Redemption  from  'Hell.' 

'The  Lord  killeth,  and  maketh  alive  ;  He  bringeth  down 
to  Sheol,  [Hell,]  and  eringeth  up.' — 1  Sam.  ii.  6. 

'1  will  Ransom  them  from  the  Power  of  SheoW — Hosea 
xiii.  14. 

'And  Hades  [Hell,]  Delivered  up  the  dead  which  were  in 
it. '—Rev.  XX.  13. 

'Great  is  Thy  Mercy  towards  me,  and  Thou  hast  Deliv 
ered  my  soul  from  the  lowest  Hell.' — Ps.  Ixxxvi.  13. 

'Out  of  the  belly  of  Hell  cried  I,  -  -  I  went  down  to  the 
bottoms  of  the  mountains,  and  the  earth  with  her  bars  was 
about  me /orezjer  ;  [that  is,  three  days  ;]  yet  Thou  hast 
brought  up  my  life  from  corruption,  O  Lord,  my  God.' — 
Jonah  ii.  2,  6. 

'Like  sheep  are  they  laid  in  Sheol,  -  -  but  God  will  Re- 
deem my  soul  from  the  Power  of  Sheol,  [hell,]  for  He  shall 
receive  me.' — Ps.  xlix.  14,  15. 

'I,  [the  Psalmist,]  am  counted  with  them  that  go  down 
into  Sheol.' — Ps  Ixxxviii.  4.  'The  sorrows  of  Hell  com- 
passed  me  about.' — 2   Sam.  xxii.  6 ;    Ps.  xviii.  5.      'The 


162  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

pains  of  Hell  gat  hold  on  me.' — Ps.  cxvi.  3.  Yet  who  be- 
lieves in  the  endless  perdition  of 'the  sweet  singer  of  Israel?* 

'Thou  wilt  not  leave  my  sonl  in  Hell.^ — Ps.  xvi.  10. 

'Your  cov^enant  with  Death  shall  be  disannulled,  and  your 
agreement  with  Hell  shall  not  stand.' — Isa.  xxviii.  18. 

'In  Hell  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  being  in  torment,'  and  there 
was  no  water  to  cool  his  tongue. — Luke  xvi.  23.  'As  for 
thee  also,  [Messiah,]  by  the  Blood  of  thy  Covenant,  I  have 
sent  forth  thy  prisoners  out  of  the  Pit,  wherein  is  no  wa- 
ter.'— Zech.  ix.  1-5. 

Christ  suffered  in  his  ftesh  for  the  unjust,  and  went  and 
preached  the  Gospel  to  them  that  were  dead,  spirits  in  Pri- 
son that  were  sometimes  disobedient,  that  he  might  bring  us 
to  God, — that  their  spirits  might  live  according  to  God. — 1 
Pet.  iii.  18-22  and  iv.  6.  For  he  hath  'the  keys  of  Hades,^ 
— Rev.  i.  18.  And  the  gates  of  Hades  shall  not  Prevail 
against  his  Church,'' — Mat.  xvi.  18,  because  it  is  to  embrace 
'All  Families,'  and  'Kindreds.' 

After  his  resurrection,  Jesus  explicitly  declared,  'I  have 
not  yet  ascended  unto  my  Father.' — John  xx.  17.  And  Pe- 
ter said,  'David  is  not  [yet]  ascended  into  the  heavens.' — 
Acts  ii.  34.  Jesus  was  'our  Forerunner  into  the  Holy 
Place,'  the  '■First- Fruits,^  and  '■First-Born  of  Every  Crea- 
ture.' Where  were  the  spirits  of  the  before-departed,  then, 
and  his  own  glorified  spirit,  before  his  ascension  to  the 
mansions  of  his  Father  ?  They  were  in  the  Middle  World, 
Sheol,  'Paradise,^  the  Lower  Heaven.  Jesus  died  that  he 
might  go  and  take  possession  of  the  dead,  of  whom  he  had 
become  Lord  as  well  as  of  the  living, — Rom.  xiv.  9. — 
Thence,  'He  ascended  up  on  high,  leading  Captivity  captive, 
['freeing  the  prisoners,']  and  received  gifts  for  Men,  yea,  for 
the  Rebellious  also.' — Ps.  Ixviii.  18  ;  Eph.  iv.  8. 

The  souls  of  all  meri,  in  fact,  must  pass  the  experiences 
of  the  Middle  State,  in  order  to  reach  the  higher  heaven 
where  their  'naked'  spirits  are  to  be  'clothed  upon  with  their 
house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens.' — 2 
Cor.  V.  1—4.  Is  this  doubted  ?  Are  we  not  told  that  'Sheol 
-  -  gathereth  unto  him  All  Nations,  and  heapeth  unto  him 
Alt  People  r — Hab.    ii.  5.     That   the  Lord  'brings  us  to 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  163 

<leaih,  and  to  a  House  that  is  appointed  for  All  LiviiigV — 
Job  XXX.  33.  A.\i(\  ' SheoV  is  that  'House.'' — Job  xvii.  13. 
'Whatman  thatliveth,'  asks  David,  'that  shall  not  see  death, 
and  that  shall  deliver  his  soul  from  the  hand  of  SheolV — 
Ps.  Ixxxix,  48.  David  himself  expected  to  go  there,  as  we 
have  seen,  and  here  is  another  proof :  'O  Lord,  Thou  hast 
stayed  my  soul  from  Skeol ;  Thou  hast  kept  me  alive,  that 
I  should  not  [yet]  go  down  to  the  Pit.' — Ps.  xxx.  3.  And 
this  he  calls,  'the  loay  of  All  the  Earth.' — 1  Kings  ii.  2. 
The  good,  venerable  Hezekiah,  also,  said  that  in  the  cutting 
ofTof  his  days  he  should  go  to  the  gales  of  Sheol,  and  be- 
hold man  no  more  with  the  inhabitants  of  this  world. — Isa. 
xxxviii.  10.  11.  We  read  of  Abraham  having  died  and  be- 
ing 'gathered  to  his  people,' — Gen.  xxv.  8;  and  Isaac  also, 
and  Jacob,  the  same, —  xxxv.  29,  xlix.  29,  33.  Also,  Ishma- 
el,  Moses,  Aaron,  and  others,  are  said  to  have  been  'gather- 
ed to  their  people,'  and  'their  Fathers. '  Even  'aivhole  Ge- 
neration' and  'another  Generation  after  them,'  were  likewise 
■■Gathered  unto  their  Fathers.' — Judg.  ii.  10.  And  where 
were  the  Fathers  gathered  ?  Here  are  three  passages  of  the 
■divine  record  to  answer  this  question  :  'I  [Father  Jacob] 
will  go  down  into  Sheol,  unto  my  son.' — Gen.  xxxvii.  35; 
'Ye  shall  bring  down  my  gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  Sheol.' 
— Gen.  xlii.  38;  'Tiiey  shall  bring  down  the  gray  hairs  of 
Thy  servant,  our  father,  with  sorrow  to  Sheol.— x\iv.  31. 
Nobody  ever  doubts  that  all  these  ancient  worthies  have 
been  raised  from  Sheol  to  a  higher  and  more  perfect  sphere. 
Yet  it  is  imagined,  still,  that  only  the  wicked  go  there,  and 
that  it  is  a  place  of  terrible,  penal,  endless  sufferings.  But 
such  is  not  the  Sheol  oPthe  Bible.  The  wicked,  of  course, 
•descend  to  Sheol  with  all  the  rest  of  mankind.  But  they 
are  TURNED,  driven,  impelled  prematurebj,  (the  Hebrew  has 
this  force.)  by  their  sins,  out  of  this  life  into  the  next.  We 
certainly  have  no  idea  that  all  who  depart  this  life  entering 
upon  Sheol,  are  equally  happy,  and  'shall  bear  the  ('glorious') 
image  of  the  heavenly,'  equilly  soon,  for  no  two  individuals 
leave  this  world  in  precisely  the  same  moral  condition. 
Among  the  remedial  powers  which  a  wise  and  merciful  Pro- 
vidence has  there  seen  fit  to  appoint,  there  may  exist  both  a 


164  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

Paradise,  and  a  sphere  of  wholesome,  disciplinary  incarcera- 
tion. Still,  wc  believe  it  to  be  on  the  whole,  an  advanced, 
a  hiirher  and  more  congenial  state  of  being-  than  the  present, 
where  all,  (for  none  go  out  from  this  ignorant,  imperfect  life 
prepared  to  sit  down  with  the  exalted  angels,)  are  gradually 
elevated  'from  glory  to  glory,'  and  are  changed  as  the  dark- 
ness is  transformed  into  light  in  the  sun's  bright  beams,  by 
the  spirit  of  Christ,  'into  the  same  image.'  We  do  not  believe 
the  after  state  to  be  one  of  aggravated  sufferings,  much  less 
of  useless,  wanton,  merciless  tortures,  because  it  is  not  a 
region  of  temptation  and  iniquity,  which  alone  are  the  pay- 
masters of  such  wages.  Sinning  hath  its  birthplace,  and 
must  have  its  death-place,  in  flesh  and  blood.  'He  that  is 
dead  is  f?'ced  from  sin  ;'  'he  that  hath  suffered  in  the  flesh 
hath  ceased  from  sin  ;'  'the  spirit  is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is 
weak  ;'  'the  flesh  lusteth  against  the  spirit  ;'  it  is  'with  the 
flesh  we  serve  the  law  of  sin.'  And  we  know  that  'flesh 
and  blood  cannot  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God.'  But  who 
will  say  that  the  work  of  Christ's  redemption  is  finished  at 
death,  which  merely  releases  us  from  a  weak  and  sinful 
body,  'the  source  of  passions  and  the  seat  of  lust  ?'  Who 
will  say  that  the  many  and  the  heinous  sins  of  this  mortal 
life  do  not  entail  upon  our  vital  and  moral  natures  any  con- 
segue/ices  whatever,  not  even  those  of  remorse,  from  which 
we  shall  require  salvation  in  the  succeeding  state?  Nay  ; 
there  is  a  prostration  of  the  holier  energies  of  the  divine  prin- 
ciple within  us,  occasioned  by  our  contact  with  the  evils  of 
earth,  very  properly  denominated  'death'  in  the  oracles  of 
truth,  which  shnli  in  the  after-state,  require  the  quickening 
power  of  the  Spirit  for  its  resurrection,  that  the  last  vestige 
of 'mortality  shall  be  swallowed  up  of  life.'  Our  sins  have 
not  merely  to  be  taken  aioay,  but  in  the  dispensation  of  For- 
giveness and  Sanctification,  they  are  also  to  be  Hotted  07it, 
that  they  shall  be  remembered  no  more,  so  that  we  shall  be 
raised  to  such  a  state  of  spiritual  health  and  blessednes-?  as 
if  we  harl  never  sinned.  Besides,  the  work  of  raising  the 
human  spirit  to  the  glory  of  the  celestial,  is  twofold.  Be- 
yond the  triumphs  of  ?-erZe??t;5^/o?i,  commences  the  operations 
of  the  spirit  of  sanctifying  wisdom,  that  leads  us  up  from  the 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOrE.  16f5 

condition  of  mere  innoccncij,  to  that  of  angelic  knowledge, 
and  an  ever-advancing  progres-;  towards  the  glory  of 'the 
Head  of  All  Things.'  And  the  consideration  that  three- 
fifths  of  the  human  species  that  are  born,  as  it  is  estimated, 
are  taken  away  in  infancy,  wholly  undeveloped  in  the  ca- 
pacities of  their  intelligent  or  moral  natures,  is  another  ar- 
gument that  the  Paternal  Wisdom  has  appointed  suitable 
and  ample  provision  in  the  immediate  post-mortem  life,  for 
the  sustenance,  well-being,  and  growth  of  so  immense  a 
host  of  intelligences,  and  for  their  ultimate  attainment  of  the 
immortal  sphere.  May  there  not  be  a  peculiar  meaning  in 
the  following  passages  which  has  not  been  generally  observ- 
ed ?  'Unto  the  Angels  hath  He  not  put  in  subjection  the 
world  to  come?'— Heb.  ii.  5.  'Are  the  Angels  not  all  Minister- 
ing Spirits,  sent  out  to  minister  to  them  who  shall  be  heirs 
of  salvation  ?' — Heb.  i.  14.  'Do  ye  not  know  that  the  Saints 
shall  judge  the  world  ?'— 1  Cor.  vi.  2.  'Thus  saith  the  word 
of  the  Lord,  not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  [not  by  coercion,'] 
but  by  My  Spirit,  [which  is  Omnipotent  Love,]  shall  ye 
Prevail.'— Zech.  iv.  6. 

Away  then  with  the  notion  of  any  after  state  of  unmiti- 
gated or  hopeless  pains  for  the  immortal  spirit  of  man  ! — 
'The  dust  shall  return  to  the  earth  as  it  was,  and  the  spirit 
shall  return  unto  God  that  gave  it.'  And  the  Scriptures  as- 
sure us  of  the  presence  of  the  Infinite  Love  in  S/zeoZ,— Ps. 
rxxxix.  8;  Amos  ix.  2.  We  are  told  that  'the  day  of  man's 
death  is  better  than  his  birth, — Ec.  vii.  1  ;  that  'no  man  di- 
eth  to  himself,  but  2mto  the  Lord,''  and  that,  in  fact,  'to  be 
absent  from  the  body  is  to  be  present  with  the  Lord.'  She- 
oZ  then  is  7iot  a  miserable  world,  else,  ngain,  Job  would  not 
hf\ve prayed  to  go  there,  as  he  did, — 'O  that  Thou  would'st 
hide  me  in  Sheol.'' — Job  xiv.  13.  Job  believed  that, 'There, 
[in  Sheol,]  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling,  and  the  weary 
are  at  rest.  There  the  Prisoners  rest  together,  and  hear 
not  the  voice  of  the  oppressor.  The  small  and  great  are 
there,  .[see  Isa.  xiv.  9,  10;  Ezek.  xxxi.  14-18.]  and  the 
servant  is  free  from  his  master.' — Job  iii.  17—18.  'Do  not 
All  go  unto  one  PlaceV  asked  Solomon,— Eccl.  vi.  6.     'AH 

10 


■166  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

go  unto  one  place.' — EccL  iii.  20.  Neither  can  we  believe 
with  Rev.  Mr.  Balfour  and  others,  that  Sheol  is  an  uncon- 
scious Slate.  In  addition  to  the  evidence  against  this  which 
many  of  our  former  proofs  contain,  we  name  the  following: 
'Swallow  them  up  alive,  as  Sheol,  and  whole,  as  those  that 
go  down  to  the  Pit.' — Prov.  i.  12.  'And  the  earth  open  her 
mouth  and  swallow  thetn,  and  they  go  down  quick  [living] 
into  S/«eoZ.'— Numb.  xvi.  30.  The  language  of  Solomon, 
Ec.  ix.  10,  'there  is  no  work,  nor  device,  nor  knowledge  in 
Sheol  whither  thou  goest,'  is  not  to  be  interpreted  so  as  to 
contradict  his  own  teaching  in  many  other  places,  and  re- 
peated declarations  of  Jesus,  and  the  apostles.  Some  of  the 
best  critics  are  agreed  in  understanding  this  passage  to  be  a 
precept,  simply,  against  procrastination,  against  putting  off 
'what  our  hands  find  to  do,'  enforced  by  the  consideration 
that  death  places  our  earthly  work  and  devices  beyond  our 
power  of  completion,  because  it  changes  our  sphere  of  being, 
and  all  our  knowledge  and  habits.  Taken  ever  so  literally, 
however,  this  passage  does  not  disprove  Sheol  to  be  a  place 
of  co7iscious  being. 

We  think  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament  have  a 
good  deal  to  do  with  the  scenes  and  beings  of  the  Middle 
World,  which  has  several  other  scriptural  names  beside  She- 
ol. Various  terms  expressive  of  the  idea  of  sub-terranean, 
(we  would  only  refer  to  Rev.  v.  13,  Phil.  ii.  10,  Col.  ii.  20, 
and  Eph.  iv.  8,)  also  that  frequent,  mystic  term  Sea,  and 
others  even,  which,  without  a  more  extensive  opening  of  the 
subject  we  should  not  care  to  name,  we  have  a  strong  pre- 
possession to  consider  as  evidencing  the  doctrine  of  The 
Three  Worlds.  Yet  we  do  not  of  course  attach  an  undue 
importance  to  these  opinions,  and  have  only  introduced  them 
because  we  believed  them  to  afford  an  additional  argument 
for  Universal  Reconciliation.  The  Scriptures  are  always 
plainest  upon  those  doctrines  which  are  most  essential,  and 
we  freely  acknowledge  that  if  the  Bible  reveals  anything  at 
all  upon  the  subject  of  an  Intermediate  State,  we  as -yet  see 
but  as  'through  a  glass,  darkly.'  Undoubtedly,  we  shall  all 
know  a  great  deal  more  about  the  future  state,  when  we 
come  to  get  there. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  1G7 


"For  birth,  and  life,  and  death,  and  that  strange  stale. 
Before  the  naked  soul  hath  found  its  home, — 
All  tend  to  perfect  happiness,  and  iiij;e. 
The   restless  wheels  of  beinj;  on  their  way. 
Whose  flashing  spokes,  instinct  with  infinite  life, 
Bicker  and  burn  to  gain  One  destin'd  Gaol." 

Shelley. 


2d.  That  'Hell'  shall  ultimately  be  Abolished. 

*0,  SriEOL,  I  will  be  thy  Destruction  !'—Hosea  xiii.  14. 

'O,  Halks,  where  is  thy  Victory?—!  Cor.  xv.  56.  If  St. 
Paul  had  believed  Hades  to  be  an  immense  and  eternal  world 
of  dreadful  sufferings,  which  the  Lord  had  built  and  fitted 
for  the  everlasting  abode  of  His  sinful  offspring,— is  it  not 
surpassingly  marvellous  that,  in  all  his  nuirierous  writings, 
which,  indeed,  constitute  one-third  of  the  New  Testament, 
he  should  never  have  but  once  named  it,  and  even  in  that  sol- 
itary instance,  that  he  should  have  alluded  to  it  in  a  burst  of 
rapturous  exultation  at  its  being  swallowed  up  in  a  glorious 
victory  ?  And  yet  he  affirmed  that  he  'failed  not  to  declare 
the  whole  counsel  of  God.' 

'And  Death  and  Hades  were  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire. 
This  is  the  second  death.'— Rev.  XX.  14.  'And  the  Last 
Enemy  shall  be  Destroyed,  Death.  Death  is  swallowed  up 
in  Victory  !' 

"  Evil  away  for  aye  ! 
In  the  beginning,  ere  God  bade  things  be. 
Or  ever  He  begat  the  worlds  on  space. 
He  knew  of  it,  and  fix'd  the  eternal  laws, 
For  its  continual  good-evolving  power. 
And   ultimate  exhaustion,  perfect,  final, 
And  issue  into  Universal  Joy." 

"It  suits  not  the  eternal  laws  of  Good, 

That  Evil  be  immortal."     *     "Sin  is  burn'd. 

In  hell  to  asi.es  with  the  dust  of  Death." — Festus. 


16S  REASONS    FOR    OUR    IIOI'E. 


PROPOSITION   THIRTIETH. 

The  Lord  has  the  same  solicitude  for  the  Happiness  and  Sal- 
vation of  His  Offsprin<^,  and  the  same  Poiocr  over  All 
Hearts,  in  the  Future  Life  as  in  the  Present. 

PROOFS.  ' 

'Neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities, 
nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come.,  nor 
height,  nor  depth,  nor  anj''  other  creature,  {Diabalos  is  not 
excepted,)  shall  be  able  to  Separate  Us  from  the  Love 
OF  God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.'— Rom.  viii.  38. 

'Can  a  woman  forget  her  suckling  child,  that  she  should 
not  have  compassioji  upon  the  son  of  her  womb?  Yea,  she 
MAY  forget.  Yet  I  will  not  Forget  THEE.'--Isa.  xlix.  15. 

'If  a  man  die,  shall  he  live  again  ?  All  the  days  of  my 
appointed  time  will  I  wait  till  my  change  (death)  come. 
Thou  shalt  Call,  and  I  loill  answer  Thee.  Thou  wilt  have 
A  Desire  to  the  Work  of  Thv  hands.'— Job   xiv.   14,  15. 

'His  Mercy  endurelh  forever.' — Ps.  cxxxvi.  'His Truth,' 
and  'His  Faithfulness,'  'endurelh  to  All  generations.' — P.s. 
cxvii.  2  ;  Ixxxix.  1. 

'The  Lord  is  not  willing  that  any  should  Perish,  hnithat 
All  should  come  to  'Repentance.'' — 1  Pet.  iii.  9.  And  '•He  is 
the  sabie  yesterday,  to-day,  and  Forever.' — Heb.    xiii.  8. 

'The  Lord  is  very  Pitiful,  and  of  Tender  Mercy,^—Jas. 
v.  11,  'Full  of  Compassion,  Gracious,  Long-SufTering,'  &c. 
Ps.  Ixxxvi.  15.     And  He  is  a  God  that  'changeth  not.' 

'He  maketh  His  sun  to  shine  on  the  evil  and  the  good,' 
*He  is  slow  to  anger,'  'rejoiceth  more  over  the  single  stray 
sheep  which  he  sought  and  found,  than  over  all  that  went 
not  astray,'  watcheth  even  the  sparrow's  fall  which  is  sold 
for  a  farthing,  much  more  taking  care  of  man.  His  last  and 
most  perfect  work.  But  He  is  moreover,  'toithout  variable' 
ness,  neither  the  SHADOW  of  turning.'— i as.  i.  17. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  169 

''The  defect  in  most  minds,  which  leads  to  doubt  and  un- 
belief in  regard  to  a  final  reign  of  universal  holiness  and 
peace,  is  in  being  too  hasty,  too  limited,  in  estimating  the 
Zme  which  God  has  allotted  Himself  for  the  accomplishment 
of  His  will  and  His  purposes.  Jehovah  has  at  His  com- 
mand the  e?itire  dicratio/i  of  Eternity,  for  the  completion  of 
His  designs.  Yet  from  this  absolutely  limitless  duration, 
it  is  singularly  supposed,  He  confines  himself  to  about 
threescore  years  and  ten,  (which  is  but  a  moment  in  com- 
parison with  eternity,)  to  work  out  all  those  purposes  to- 
wards each  man,  which  fix  his  everlasting  destiny.  It  is 
imagined  that  He  selects  this  brief,  introductory  period  of 
human  existence,  when  man  is  in  the  greatest  imperfection, 
when  he  is  involved  in  ignorance  and  blindness,  subject  to 
the  passions  and  infirmities  of  the  body,  and  surrounded  by 
alluring  temptations, — to  accomplish  all  He  intends  to  do, 
towards  bringing  His  offspring  in  conformity  to  the  require- 
ments of  His  government.  If,  during  these  brief  years,  and 
amid  all  these  imperfections,  God  succeeds  in  working  out 
His  Will  upon  the  children  of  men, — if  He  succeeds  in  re- 
novating a  soul,  and  to  make  it  fit,  in  this  life,  for  the  abodes 
of  blessedness  above,  it  is  well.  But  if  His  efforts  are  not 
successful, — if  that  soul  is  not  made  meet  for  the  society  of 
angels,  when  this  fleeting  space  of  time  has  elapsed — then 
God  abandons  the  work,  and  ceases  all  exertion  to  reform 
and  elevate  it,  and  allows  it  to  fall  into  utter  and  endless 
ruin.  His  power,  wisdom,  resources,  and  love  in  behalf  of 
that  fallen  child,  are  all  exhausted,  Sin,  Misery,  and  Death 
are  triumphant — a  human  soul,  the  offspring  of  God,  the 
redeemed  of  Christ,  is  endlessly  miserable,  and  hell  shouts, 
Victory  !  Not  only  is  it  supposed,  that,  at  the  close  of 
man's  short  life  on  earth,  the  Creator  desists  from  all  farther 
attempts  to  reform  His  creatures,  but  that  He  immediately 
changes  His  whole  policy  toward  them,  and  places  them 
where  it  is  made  impossible  to  repent — where  they  shall  not 
even  have  the  poor  privilege  of  becoming  better,  however 
much  they  might  desire  to  do  so.  Death  is  supposed  to  cut 
short  all  the  efforts  of  God,  and  Christ,  and  Angels  for  the 


170  RKASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

elevation  of  mankind,  and  the  character  of  every  human 
being,  exactly  as  it  then  is,  becomes  stereotyped  for  eternity! 

"Singular  infatuation  !  unaccountable  presumption  !  tiiat 
would  fain  crowd  all  the  works  and  triumphs  of  the  Infinite 
Wisdom  and  Love  into  the  narrow  circle  of  seventy  years  I 
that  would  dream  of  exhausting  the  vast  energies  and  resour- 
ces of  Omuipolence,  in  ihe  speck  of  time  allotted  to  man  be- 
low !  That  the  Scriptures  give  no  countenance  to  these 
limitations  of  time  and  means,  which  men  fasten  upon  the 
Salvation  of  God,  must  be  well  known  to  every  reader  of  the 
holy  word.  The  Bible  declares  it  to  be  His  Will  that  All 
Men  should  be  saved  and  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  and  moreover,  that  He  worketh  all  things  after  the 
counsel  of  His  own  Will.  That  His  will  to  bring  all  men 
to  salvation  and  truth,  is  but  very  partially  accomplished  in 
the  present  world,  is  evident  to  the  senses  of  every  man. 
But  should  this  fact  be  considered  as  invalidating  the  plain 
declarations  of  the  Scriptures — or  bring  into  discredit  the 
integrity  of  God,  involved  as  it  is  in  His  pledged  word — or 
as  an  evidence  that  His  will  is  frustrated  in  this  important 
matter?  It  should  not,  and  it  will  not,  in  the  mind  of  the 
enlightened  believer  in  God.  It  only  enlarges  his  compre- 
hension of  the  sphere  of  Deity's  operations,  and  brings  him 
unavoidably  into  the  belief,  that  whatever  portion  of  God's 
Will  is  not  accomplished  in  this  life,  will  be  completed  in 
the  world  to  come.  Not  that  His  will  has  been  frustrated 
here,  and  must  be  remedied  hereafter— for  the  Scripturrs  do 
not  say  that  God  wills  all  men  to  be  saved  in  thislife, — but 
that,  in  the  great  cycle  of  the  Creator's  providence,  the  time 
for  the  perfect  accomplishment  of  His  will  is  noi  to  be  ex- 
pected in  this  brief  period  of  human  life  below,  but  should 
be  looked  for  'in  the  dispensation  of  the  fulness  of  times.' 

*  #  "What  consistent  reason  can  be  assigned  why 
a  will  so  holy  and  lovely  as  that  which  designs  the  extinc- 
tion of  all  sin  and  evil,  and  the  sanctification  and  happiness 
of  the  entire  family  of  man,  should  not  be  carried  on  to  an 
entire  fulfilment  in  the  life  to  come?  Are  the  souls  of  sin- 
ners more  precious  here  than  they  will  be  hereafter?  Is  it 
anv  more  desirable  that  the  wicked  should  repent  and  tura 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  171 

to  God  here,  than  it  will  be  hereafter?  *  If  it  manifests 
great  goodness  and  mercy  in  God  and  in  Christ  to  be  inter- 
ested in  the  sinner's  welfare  here,  will  not  the  same  Good- 
ness and  Mercy  inspire  a  similar  interest  in  the  life  to  come  ? 
Can  time  or  place  change  principles,  or  alter  the  purposes  of 
infinite  love  and  compassion  ?  I:^  not  Jehovah  irnmntable 
and  unchangeable  in  His  perfections  ?  If  God  is  Love  to- 
day, will  He  not  be  Love  to-morrow  and  forever  ?  If  His 
love  leads  Him  to  shower  constant  blessings  upon  all  man- 
kind in  this  life,  will  it  not  be  as  prolific,  as  impartial,  and  as 
incessant  in  the  dispensations  of  its  benignity  throtighout 
eternity?"^ 

«>GOD  IS  LOVE." 

"If  but  these  words  ihut  Book  tontain'd 

On  «liich«our  every  Impe  is  built, 
'Twould   he  enoiij.'h,  ihougli  we  had  drain'd 

The  very  dreus  of  grief  nnd  guilt. 

LovK  will  not  harm,—  Love  v\ill  not  pause. 

In  doing  jjood  to  luiglit  that's  dear, 
Till  Nature  doth  rexert^e  her  laws, 

And  thwart  high  Heaven  in  its  career." 

Julia  H.  Scott. 


PROPOSITION  THIRTY-FIRST. 

The  Work  of  Salvaiion  shall  Continue  to  Go  on  as  long  as 
there  is  an  XJnreconciled  Subject  of  Christ's  Kingdom 
remaining,  and  as  long  as  Sin  shall  Exist. 

'He  that  is  our  God  is  the  God  of  Salvation.' 
PROOFS. 

'This  Man,  because  he  continueth  ever,  bath  an  wti- 
changeable  Priesthood.  Wherefore  he  is  able  to  Save  them 
to  the  Uttermost  who  come  unto  God  by  him,  ['he  will  draw 
All  Men  unto  him,'  ^  All  are  given  unto  me,  and  shall  coins 
to  me.']  Seeing,  he  Ever  Liveth  to  Make  Intercession  for 
them.' — Heb.  vii.  25.  'And  if  any  man  sin,  he  hath  an  Ad- 
vocate,' &C.--1  John  ii.  1,  2. 


'Austin  oi  the  Attrihutes,  p.  210-213.      This  is  one   of  the  most  e6ti> 
mable  of  ail    the  numerous  publications  of  our  Denomination. 


172  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

'The  Lord  hath  sworn,  and  will  not  repent,  Thou  art  a 
Priest  FOREVER,  after  the  order  of  r>lelchisedek.' — Ps.  ex.  4, 
Heb.  vii.  21. 

'The  Lord  is  Good  ;  His  jMercy  is  Everlasting- ;  and  His 
Faithfulness  endureth  to  All  Generations.' — Ps.  c.  5. 

'The  heavens  shall  vanish  away  like  smoke,  and  the  earth 
shall  wax  old  like  a  garment,  and  they  that  dwell  therein 
shall  die  in  like  manner.  But  My  Salvation  shall  be 
Forever,  and  Mij  Righteousiiess  shall  not  be  Abolished.^ — 
Isa.  li.  6.  'His  Righteousness  endureth  Forever.' — Ps. 
cxi.   3. 

'The  Doctrine  of  the  Resurrection  of  the  Dead,  and  of 
Eternal  Judgment.' — Heb.  vi.  2.  'The  Lord  is  our  Judge, 
He  will  save  us.' — Isa.  xxxiii.  22.  ^All  Nations  shall  come 
and  Worship  before  Thee,  for  Thy  Judgments  are  made 
ma7iifest .'—TR.ev .  xv.  4. 

'I  have  said,  Mercy  shall  be  built  up  Forever;  My 
Faithfulness  shalt  thou  establish  in  the  Heavens.'— Ps. 
lxxxiv.2.  'Thy  Faithfulness  is  2i7ito  All  Generations.^— 
Ps.  cxix.  90. 

'The  moth  shall  eat  them  up  like  a  o-arment,  and  the  worm 
shall  eat  them  like  wool  ;  but  My  Righteousness  shall  be 
FOREVER,  My  Salvation  from  Generation  to  Generation.' 
— Isa.  li.  S. 

'The  mountains  may  depart  and  the  hills  be  removed,  but 
My  Kindness  shall  not  depart  from  thee,  neither  shall  the 
Covenant  of  My  Peace  be  removed,  saith  the  Lord  that  hath 
Mercy  on  thee.' — Isa.liv.  10.  'He  sent  Redemption  unto 
His  People  ;  He  commanded  His  Covenant  Forever.' — Ps. 
cxi.  9. 

'Unto  us  a  Son  is  given,  and  the  Government  shall  be  up- 
on his  shoulder;  -  -  of  the  Increase  of  his  Government  and 
Peace,  there  shall  be  no  end.'— Isa.  ix.  6,  7. 

'And  the  gates  of  it,  [Zion,]  shall  not  be  shut  at  all  by  day, 
and  there  shall  be  no  night  there.'— Rev.  xxi.  25.  'Whoso- 
ever ^^^ZZ,  let  him  take  the  Water  of  Life  freely.' — xxii.  17. 

"Through  the  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  grades 
Of  blessedness,  above  the  world's  and  Man's 
Ability  to  feel  or  to  conceive, 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  173 

The  soul  may  pass,  and  yet  know  nought  of  heav'n. 

More  than  a  ilim  and  niiniature  reflection, 

Of  its  most  bright  infinity  ;  for  God 

Makes  to  each  spirit  ils  peculiar  heav'n  ; 

And  yet  is  heav'n  a  bright  reality, 

As  this,  or  any  of  yon  worlds  ;  a  state 

Where  all  is  iovelmess,  and  power,  and  love  ; 

Where  all  sublimest  qualities  of  mind, 

Not  infinite,  are  limited  alone, 

By  the  surrounding  God-hood, —  and  where  nought 

But  what  producelh  glory  and  delight 

To  creature  and  Creator  is  ;  where  all 

Enjoy  entire  dominion  o'er  themselves, 

Acts,  feelings,  thoughts,   conditions,  qualities. 

Spirit,  and  soul,  and  mind, — All  under  God." — Festus. 


PROPOSITION  THIRTY-SECOND. 

There  is  to  be  a  RESURRECTION  in  the  Future,  Spir- 
itual World,  from  Physical  and  Moral  Death  to  the 
Divine  Likeness  of  Christ,  for  the  Spirits  of  All  Flesh. 

PROOFS. 

'Ye  do  err,  not  knowing  the  Scriptures,  nor  the  Pozver  of 
God;  for,  in  the  Resurrectiox,  -  -  -  they  are  as  the  An- 
gels OF  God  in  Heaven.' — Mat.  xxii.  29—30. 

'Do  ye  not  therefore  err,  because  ye  know  not  tbe  Scrip- 
tures, neither  the  Power  of  God  ?  For,  tvheti  they  shall 
Rise  from  the  Dead,  they  -  -  are  as  the  Angels  which  are 
IN  Heaven.' — Mark  xii.  24,  25. 

^As  we  have  borne  the  image  of  the  Earthy,  [Adam,]  we 

SHALL  ALSO  BEAR  THE  IMAGE  OF  THE  HeAVENLY,  [Christ.] 1 

Cor.  XV.  49.  One  is  just  as  true  as  the  other.  As  surely  as 
we  have  been  born  into  the  earth,  so  surely  shall  we  be  also 
born  anew  into  heaven.  As  true  as  we  have  been  created 
in  the  likeness  of  the  first-born  of  earth,  So  truly  shall  we 
also  be  re-created  into  the  image  of  the  first-born  of  heaven. 
Who  can  resist  the  force  of  so  express  a  testimony  ?  Have 
not  All  borne  the  image  of  the  earthy  ?  Have  not  All  Souls 
been  born  into  this  world  ?  And  the  great  Universal  Neto 
Birth  of  the  Resurrection  is  to  glorify  all  these,  that  is,  of 
course,  every  human  creature,  with  the  heavenly,  angelic, 
image. 

K 


174  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE, 

'As  in  Adam  ALL  die,  even  so,  m  Christ  shall  ALL 
BE  MADE  ALIVE.' — 1  Cor.  XV.  22.  Fiom  what  kind  of  death 
does  the  Apostle  here  contemplate  the  Resurrection  of  All  ? 
Evidently,  that  which  came  upon  the  soul  of  Adam  in  the 
«?«!/ of  his  disobedience,  and  not  physical  death,  merely.  We 
have  no  evidence  that  God  first  created  the  dust  of  Adam 
immortal,  so  that  his  earthly  body  would  never  have  return- 
ed to  the  dust  from  whence  it  came  if  he  had  not  sinned,— 
there  is  proof  to  the  contrary.  Therefore  naturally,  all 
mankind  may  not  be  said  to  die  in  Adam,  because  mortal 
death  is  the  inevitable,  involuntary  'debt  of  nature,'  which 
every  man  must  suffer  if  he  is  born,  whether  Adam  had  ex- 
isted or  not.  But  the  Scriptures  suppose  that  all  men  have 
inherited  from  Adam  the  spiritual  mortality  which  came 
upon  him  at  the  fall,  and  thus  accordingly  say,  'm  Adam 
All  die.'  And  the  purpose  of  the  Resurrection  is  that  the 
deathly  condition  of  our  spirits  shall  be  abolished,  and  quick- 
ened and  made  alive  in  Christ.  'And  if  any  man  be  in 
Christ,  he  is  become  a  New  Creature.' 

'How  are  the  dead  Raised  up,  and  with  what  lody  do 
they  come  ?  -  -  That  which  thou  sowest,  tho2i  sowest  not 
that  body  which  shall  be.  -  -  It  is  sown  in  Dishonour,  it  is 
Raised  in  Glory  ;  it  is  sown  in  weakness,  it  is  Raised  in 
Power  ;  it  is  sown  a  natural,  [literally,  'an  animal,']  body, 
IT  IS  Raised  a  Spiritual  Body.' — 1  Cor.  xv.  35,  37,  43,  44. 
It  is  the  Father's  Will,  that  of  All  Flesh  and  All  Things, 
which  He  hath  given  unto  His  Son,  he  should  Raise  all  up 
at  the  last  day,  and  Lose  Nothing. — John  vi.  39,  &c. 

'He  hath  given  Assurance  unto  All  Men,  in  that  He  hath 
Raised  up  Jesus  from  the  Dead.' — Acts  xvii.  3L 

'God  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  [for  there  are  no  dead,] 
but  of  the  living  :  for  ALL  live  unto  Him.' — Mat.  xxii.  30. 

'No  Man  Dieth  to  Himself;  for  whether  we  live,  we 
live  unto  the  Lord,  and  whether  toe  Die,  we  Die  unto  the 
Lord  ;  whether  we  live,  therefore,  or  Die,  we  are  the 
Lord's.  For  to  this  end  Christ  both  died,  rose,  and  revived, 
that  he  might  be  Lord  both  of  the  Dead  and  the 
Living.' — Rom.  xiv.  7-9. 

"^ur  Lord  Jesus  Christ  Died  for   Us,    [Mankind,]   that 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  175 

whether  we  wake  or  sleep,  ive  should  LIVE  together  with 
him:— I  Thess.  v.  10. 

'It  doth  not  [yet]  appear  what  we  shall  be  ;  but  we  know 
that  when  he  shall  appear,  [at  the  time  of  our  resurrection 
to  life  and  immortality,]  we  shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall 
see  him  as  he  is: — 1  John  iii.  2.  'The  Glory  of  the  Lord 
shall  be  revealed,  Q.nA  All  Flesh  shall  see  it  together.' — 
Isa.  xl.  5. 

'We  look  for  the  Saviour,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who 
shall  change  our  vile  body,  that  it  may  be  Fashioned  like 
UNTO  His  Glorious  Bodv  ;  according  to  the  Working  where- 
by he  is  [thus]  able  to  Subdue  All  Things  U7ito  himself: — 
Phil.  iii.  21.  'We  shall  ALL  be  Changed.  -  -  The  Dead 
shall  be  Raised  incorruptible,  a7id  we  shall  be  Changed* 
that  is,  as  above,  'fashioned  in  the  likeness  of  Christ's  glo- 
rious body,'  in  'the  image  of  the  heaoenly:  &c. — 1  Cor.  xv. 
52,  49. 

'Corruption  cannot  inherit  Incorruption.' — 1  Cor.  xv. 

'The  dust  shall  return  unto  the  earth  as  it  was,  and  the 
Spirit  shall  return  unto  God  who  gave  it.' — Ec.  xii.  7. 
'For  OF  Him,  and  through  Him,  and  TO  Him  are  All 
Things.' — Rom.  xi.  36. 

'  Unto  God,  the  Lord,  belong  the  issues  of  Death.  And 
he  shall  wound  the  head  of  His  enemies,  [the  seed  of  the 
serpent, — see  Gen.  iii.  15,]  and  the  scalp  of  such  an  enemy 
as  goeth  on  still  in  trespassing,'  [till  'the  last  enemy,  death, 
shall  be  destroyed.'] — Ps.  Ixviii.  20,  21. 

Those  that  are  alive  from  the  dead,  yield  themselves 
UNTO  THE  Lord. — Rom.  vi.  13.  'Weep  ye  not  for  the 
DEAD,  [therefore,]  neither  bemoan  him.' — Jer.  xxii.  10. 

'Because  I  live,  [said  Jesus,]  Ye  shall  live  also.' — John 
xiv.  29.  'He  tasted  death  for  Every  Man:  ''the'whole  world: 
And  'we  shall  be  Saved,  by  his  life.' — Rom.  vi.  10.  And 
he  'was  made  after  the  Power  of  an  endless  life.' — Heb. 
vii.  23. 

'Christ  is  the  first-born  of  Every  Creature.' — Col.  i.  15. 

'They  which  shall  be  accounted  worthy  [of  all  the  anima- 
ted species  of  the  Lord's  creation,]  to  obtain  that  world  and 
the  Resurrection  from  the  Dead,  cannot  die  any  more  ;  for 


176  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

THEY  ARE  EQUAL  UNTO  THE  Angels  ;  and  are  the  children  of 
God,  [by  adoption,  also,  as  they  were  previously  by  creation,'\ 

BEING     THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE     RESURRECTION.' Luke     XX. 

34-36. 

'That  THE  Dead  [i.  e.  all  the  dead, — none  are  excepted,] 
are  Raised,  even  Moses  showed  at  the  bush,  when  he  calleth 
the  Lord,  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  [because 
these  Fathers  had  died.]  For  He  is  not  a  God  of  the  dead, 
but  of  THE  Living  ;  [consequently,  those  Patriarchs  must 
have  been  Raised,  and  living  ;  notice,  Christ  said,  'the  dead 
are  raised  ;'  the  Bible  does  not  teach  a  Future,  Universal, 
Simultaneous  Resurrection,  any  more  than  it  teaches  a 
Physical,  Terrestrial  one.  'But  every  man  in  his  own  or- 
der,' is  advanced  to  the  heavenly  sphere.]  For  All  live 
UNTO  Him.' — Luke  xx.  37,  38. 

'This  I  confess  unto  tbee,  [said  the  Apostolic  Preacher,] 
that  after  the  way  which  they  call  Heresy,  so  worship  I  the 
God  of  my  Fathers,  believing  all  things  which  are  written 
in  the  Law  and  in  the  Prophets,  and  have  HOPE,  [both 
expectation  and  desire,]  toward  God,  which  they  themselves 
dXso  allow,  [Partialists  admit  the  resurrection  of  the  sinful 
to  immortality,  but  it  is  a  revivification  to  endless  miseries, 
and  they  cannot  therefore  hope  for  it  as  we,  who  contend 
with  Jesus  that  'the  children  of  the  Resurrection  are  as  the 
angels  of  heaven,']  that  there  shall  be  a  Resurrection  of  the 
Dead,  both  of  the  Just,  and  of  the  Unjust.' — Actsx.xiv.  15. 

"The  soul's  inherilanoe, 
Its  birthplace  vind  its  deathplace,  is  ofearth  ; 
Until  God  maketh  earth  and  soul  anew, 
The  one  like  heav'n,  the  other  like  Himself. 
So  shall  the  New  Creation  come  at  once  ; 
Sin,  the  dead  branch  upon  the  Tree  of  Life, 
Shall  be  cut  ofl'  forever  ;  and  All  Souls, 
Concluded  in  God's  boundless  amnesty." 
"Step  by  step,  and  throne  by  throne  we  rise, 
Continually  towards  the  Infinite, 
And  ever  nearer, — never  near, — to  God." — Festus. 

Two  passages  will  probably  occur  to    the   mind   of  the 
reader  in  reflecting  upon  the  Scripture  teachings  concerning 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  177 

ihe  Resurrection,  which  may  at  first  present  some  little  diffi- 
culty. We  are  compelled,  however,  to  notice  them  but  very 
briefly.  The  book  and  periodical  publications  of  our  per- 
suasion, abound  with  searching  and  irrefutable  expositions 
of  them.     We  shall  notice  them  conjointly. 

'And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the  dust  of  the  earth 
shall  awake,  some  to  everlasting  life,  and  some  to  shame 
and   everlasting  contempt.' — Dan.  xii.  2, 

'The  hour  is  coming  in  which  all  that  are  in  the  graves 
shall  hear  his  voice,  and  shall  come  forth :  they  that  have 
done  good,  unto  the  resurrection  of  life  ;  and  they  that 
have  done  evil,  unto  the  resurrection  of  damnation,  [condem- 
nation,--"^xevioxxs.  verses.] — John  v.  28,  29. 

For  sake  of  brevity,  we  shall  only  make  several  general 
remarks,  Avhich  we  have  not  space  to  illustrate.™(l)  Ifthese 
two  passages  refer  to  the  Immortal  Resurrection,  they  posi- 
tively, palpably  contradict  the  explicit  teaching  of  sixteen 
passages  we  have  above  cited,  which  the  objector  will  not 
dispute  DO  relate  to  the  heavenly  Resurrection  ;  and  it  is 
the  business  of  the  objector  to  reconcile  the  Scriptures,  as 
much  as  ours.  But  should  the  express  declarations  of  six- 
teen texts,  be  forced  to  yield  to  the  doubtful  meaning  of  two  ? 
—(2)  It  is  entirely  assumed  that  these  passages  have  any- 
thing to  do  with  i\ie  future  life,  and  that,  in  direct  defiance 
of  the  contexts  in  both  instances  ;  the  time  of  the  first  being 
fixed  at  a  period  of  some  great  national  (not  uriiversal)  trou- 
ble, on  the  earth,  (verse  1,)  which  Christ,  in  his  prophecy 
of  the  demolition  of  Jerusalem,  quoting  DanieVs  language, 
applied  to  that  event,  (see  Mat.  xxiv.  15,  21  ;)  and  the 
other  passage  is  also  declared  by  Jesus  himself  to  refer  to 
that  present  time,  (verse  25,)  and  explained  by  him,  too,  in 
the  same  connection,  v.  24:  that  believing  on  him  was 
life  and  the  deliverance  from  condemnation,  or  damnation. 
— (3)  The  immortal  Resurrection  is  never  once  spoken  of 
in  the  Scriptures  as  a  resurrection  from  the  graves,  or  from 
the  dust  of  the  earth,  but  as  a  resurrection  from  the  dead  ;— 
it  is  not  spoken  of  as  a  resurrection  to  this  earthly  life,  and 
physical  body,  but  as  a  resuscitation  to  Hhe  heavenly''  life, 
with  'a  spiritual  body.'' — (4)  The  Resurrection  to  immortal- 


178  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

ity  is  a  Universal  Resurrection  ;  but  the  awaking  of  those 
that  slept,  was  only  for  'many,'  not  all  'of  them ;'  it  was 
only  for  those  who  were  'in  the  graves,^  and  not  for  all  that 
die  in  Adam,  and  hear  the  iviage  of  the  earthy.— {5)  The 
passages  are  understood  by  an  examination  of  the  phraseol- 
ogy, both  of  them  being  found  to  comprise  proverbial  ex- 
pressions, common  and  peculiar  to  the  times  in  which  they 
were  employed  ;  such  expressions  as  'bowed  down  to  the 
dust'  to  'eat'  and  to  'lick  the  dust,'  to  be  as  'dust  and  ashes' 
were  well  understood  to  signify  a  degraded,  vile,  humiliated 
condition  ;  and  thus  the  propriety  of  the  usage  of  such  forms 
of  speech  as  arising,  aivaking,  being  lifted  up,  shaking  one's 
self  'from  the  dust,'  &c.  References  might  be  abundantly 
multiplied  to  this  point  had  we  space.  In  illustration  of  the 
proverbial  usage  of  the  term  sleep,  as  denoting  'a  state  of 
national  and  spiritual  sloth,  stupidity,  and  death,'  and  for 
a  number  of  instances  where  an  awaking  from  such  a  state 
is  spoken  of,  see  Isa.  xxix.  10  ;  li.  17  ;  1  Cor.  xv.  34  :  Eph. 
V.  14.  The  proverbial  expression  in  John  v.  28,  29,  is 
being  'in  graves,'  synonymous  with  'the  dead,'  of  verse  25; 
and  it  would  seem  that  nothing  else  whatever  is  necessary 
for  the  perfect  elucidation  of  those  words  than  Ezek.  xxxvii. 
11-14,  and  the  list  of  passages  we  quoted  on  page  160. — 
(6)  Have  not  the  Jewish  people  been  suffering  their  'ever- 
lasting shame  and  contempt'  for  the  last  eighteen  centuries  ? 
Is  not  the  prophecy  fulfilled,  that  they  should  become  a  re- 
proach and  by-word  among  all  nations,  and  have  no  rest  for 
the  soles  of  their  feet  ?  When  the  'orthodox'  commentators 
come  to  this  passage  in  Jeremiah,  'I  will  bring  an  ever- 
lasting REPROACH  upon  you,  and  A  perpetual  {everlasting) 
SHAME,' they  never  pretend  to  refer  that  language  to  eternity. 
On  this  subject  the  Bible  is  clear  ;  'The  Reproach  of  My 
people  shall  be  taken  away,'  and  'the  Shame  of  her  youth 
shall  he  forgotten.' 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  179 


PROPOSITION  THIRTY-THIRD. 

TAe  PUNISHMENTS  of  God  are  never  Retaliative  Injlic- 
tions,  nor  Aggravated,  Merciless,  or  Useless,  but  are 
the  Necessary,  Salutary  Chastisements  of  an  infinitely 
Wise  and  Good  Parent,  and  therefore  do  not  tend  to 
Perpetuate,  but  to  Correct  the  Wickedness  of  Man. 

PROOFS. 
^Tkou  thoughtest  that  I  was  altogether  such  an  one  as  thyself,^ — Ps.  1.  21. 

'Wherefore  should  a  living  man  complain,  a  man,  for  the 
Punishment  of  his  sins  ?'  'For  the  Lord  will  not  cast  off 
forever ;  but  though  he  cause  grief,  yet  will  He  have  Compas- 
sion, according  to  the  Multitude  of  His  Mercies.  For  He 
doth  not  afflict  willingly,  {wantonly,']  nor  grieve  the  children 
of  men.' — Lam.  iii.  39^  31--33.  Even  the  punishments  of 
the  Lord  are  tokens  of  His  unfailing  Goodness,  because  they 
are  so  wisely  administered  as  to  contribute  to  our  Avelfare. 
Wherefore  then  should  we  complain  of  the  just  chastisement 
of  our  sins,  seeing  that  the  very  sorest  of  God's  Punishments 
are  not  without  compassion,  and  shall  finally  turn  to  our 
benefit  ?  But  were  His  Punishment  [Revenge']  to  be  endless, 
having  sufiering  alone  for  its  object  and  end,  should  we  not 
then  have  just  cause  to  complain,  of  the  infinite  cruelty  and 
injustice  of  our  Tormenter  ? 

'Ye  have  forgotten  the  exhortation  which  speaketh  unto 
you  as  unto  children  ;  [yes,  they  have  sadly  neglected  to 
think  of  the  Paternal  character  of  God  :]  My  Son,  despise 
not  the  chastening  of  the  Lord,  nor  faint  when  thou  art  re- 
buked of  Him:  for  whom  the  Lord  loveth.  He  chasteneth, 
and  scourgeth  every  son  whom  He  receiveth.  If  ye  suflTer 
chastening,  [Punishment ,— same  word  in  the  Greek,]  God 
dealeth  with  you  as  with  sons,  [not  as  a  severe,  unrelenting 
tyrant ;]  for  where  is  there  a  son  whom  his  father  chasten- 
eth  not  ?  For  if  ye  be  without  Chastisement,  whereof  [in- 
deed] All  are  partakers,  then  must  ye  be  bastards,  and  not 
sons  ;  [they  must  be  the  offspring  of  some  other  Being,  for 
our  God  punishes  all  His  children  :    but  this  cannot  be,  for 


ITOf  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

'there  is  [only]  one  God  and  Fatlicr  of  All.']  Furlhermore, 
we  have  WaA  fathers  of  our  flesh  who  Corrected  us,  and  we 
gave  them  reverence  :  shall  we  not  much  rather  be  in  sub- 
jection to  THE  Father  of  Spirits,  [a  more  tender  and  eter- 
nal relation,]  and  live?  For  they,  verily,  for  a  few  days, 
Chastened  us  after  their  oion  pleasure  ;  but  He,  for  our 
Profit,  that  we  might  be  Partakers  of  His  Holiness. — 
Now  no  Chastening-, /or  the  present,  seemeth  to  be  joyous, 
but  grievous.  Nevertheless,  afterward,  [aye,  there  is  an 
Afterward  to  the  Punishments  of  the  Merciful  God,] — Af- 
terward, it  yieldeth  the  Peaceable  fruits  of  Righteous- 
ness, unto  them  which  are  exercised  thereby.' — Heb.  vii. 
5-11. 

^^e\\o\i\,  happy  is  the  man  whom  God  Correcteth,  [Pun- 
isheth ;]  therefore,  despise  not  thou  the  Chasteniiig  of  the 
Almighty.  For  He  maketh  sore,  and  hindeth  up.  He  wound- 
eth,  and  His  hands  make  whole.'' — Job  v.  17,  18. 

'■Before  I  was  afflicted,  I  went  astray  ;  but  noxo  have  I 
kept  Thy  word.' — Ps.  cxix.  67.  'Though  He  slay  mo,  yet 
will  I  trust  in  Him.' — Job  xiii.  15 ;  Ps.  cxviii.  18. 

'My  son,  despise  not  the  Chastening  of  the  Lord,  neither 
be  weary  of  His  Correction.  For  whom  the  Lord  loveth, 
He  Correcteth,  even  as  a  father  the  son,  in  whom  He  de- 
lighleth.'— Prov-  iii.  11,  12. 

'I  will  cause  you  to  pass  under  the  rod,  and  bring  you  into 
the  bond  of  the  Covenant.' — Ezek.  xx.  37. 

'Thou  shalt  consider  in  thine  heart  that,  as  a  man  Chas- 
teneth  his  son,  SO  the  Lord  thy  God  Chasteneth  thee.' — 
Deut.  viii.  5. 

'I  will  Punish  the  World  for  their  evil,  and  the  Wicked 
for  their  iniquity ;  and  I  will  cause  the  arrogancy  of  the 
pround  to  cease,  and  lay  loio  the  haughtiness  of  the  Terrible. 
I  will  unake  a  rnan  more  Precious  than  fine  gold  ;  even  a 
man,  than  the  golden  ivedge  of  Ophir.^ — Isa.  xiii.  11,  12. 

'The  Lord  shall  smite  Egypt ;  He  shall  smite,  and  heal 
IT.  And  they  shall  return  even  unto  the  Lord,  and  He 
shall  be  entreated  of  them,  and  shall  heal  them.' — Isa.  xix. 
22. 

'Lord,  in  trouble  they  have  visited  Thee  ;    they  poured 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  181 

out  a  prayer  %iolien  Thy  Chastening  ivas  upo7i  them,.' — Isa. 
xxvi.  16. 

'Can  thy  heart  endure,  and  can  thy  hands  be  strong,  in  the 
days  that  I  will  deal  with  thee  ?  I  the  Lord  have  spoken 
it  and  will  do  it.  I  will  scatter  thee  among  the  heathen, 
and  disperse  thee  in  the  countries,  a?id  loill  Consume  thy 
filthiness  out  af  thee.' — Ezek.  xxii.  14,  15. 

He  shall  separate  the  nations  one  from  another,  as  a  shep- 
herd divideth  his  sheep  from  the  goats  ; — and  these  shall 
go  away  into  lasting  chastisement,  but  the  justified,  into 
life  eternal,  [i.  e.  as  Jesus  himself  defined  it,  (John  xvii.  3,) 
the  knowledge  of  God  and  of  Jesus  Christ  whom  He  sent ; 
the  gospel  kingdom,  commenced  at  the  destruction  of  the 
Jewish,  in  the  end  of  that  age.] — Mat.  xxv.  39,  46.  See 
several  parts  of  context,  and  xxi.  43,  xvi.  28,  and  xxiv.  34. 

'Thou  hast  Chastised  me,  and  I  was  chastised,  as  a  bul- 
lock unaccustomed  to  the  yoke.  Tiirn  Thou  me,  and  I 
shall  be  turned  ;  for  Thou  art  the  Lord  my  God.  Surely, 
after  that,  I  was  turned,  I  repented,  and  after  that  [here 
again  the  blessed  '■afterward''  of  God's  punishments  is  spoken 
of,]  after  that  I  loas  instructed.' — Jer.  xxxi.  IS. 

'Trust  ye  not  in  a  friend,  put  ye  not  confidence  in  a 
guide.  -  -  Therefore  look  unto  the  Lord  ;  I  will  wait  for  the 
God  of  my  salvation  ;  my  God  will  hear  me.  Rejoice  not 
against  me,  O  mine  enemy;  when  I  fall,  I  shall  arise  ;  when 
I  sit  in  darkness,  the  Lord  shall  be  a  Light  untome.  I  will 
bear  the  indignation  of  the  Lord,  because  I  have  sinned 
against  him  ;  until  Heplead  my  cause,  and  execute  judgment 
for  me  ;  He  ivill  bring  me  forth  to  the  light,  and  I  shall  be- 
hold His  Righteousness.' — Micah  vii.  5-9. 

'I  know,  0  Lord,  that  Thy  judgments  are  right,  and  that 
Thou  in  Faithfulness  hast  afflicted  me.' — Ps.  cxix  ;  xciv. 

'If  his  children  forsake  My  law,  and  walk  not  in  My 
judgments  ;  if  they  break  My  statutes,  and  keep  not  My 
Commandments,  then  will  I  [rack  their  helpless  spirits  with 
the  endless  sorrows  and  tortures  of  the  Eternal  Dungeon 
which  is  prepared  for  the  banishment  of  their  souls, — De- 
mons of  woe  and  darkness  shall  be  their  only  friends  forev- 

11 


REASONb    FOR    OUR  HOPE. 


er,  and — horrible!  No!]  then  will  I  visit  their  transgres- 
sions with  the  rod,  and  their  ini(juities  with  stripes.  Never- 
theless, My  Loving-Kindness  I  will  not  utterly  take  from 
thejn,  nor  suffer  My  Faithfulness  to  fail.  My  Covenant  I 
will  not  break,  nor  alter  the  thing  that  is  gone  out  of  My 
lips.'— Ps.  Ixxxix.  30--34. 

'Though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death, 
I  will  fear  no  evil ;  for  Thou  art  with  me.  Thy  rod  and 
thy  staff  shall  comfort  me.' — Ps.  xxiii.  4. 

'Surely  it  is  meet  to  be  said  unto  God,  I  have  borne  Chas- 
tisement, I  will  not  offend  any  more.' — Job  xxxiv.  31. 

'The  face  of  the  Lord  is  against  them  that  do  evil,  to  cut 
off  the  remembrance  of  them  from  the  earth.  They  cry,  and 
the  Lord  heareth  ayid  Delivereth  them  out  of  all  their  trou- 
bles.'— Ps.  xxiv.    16,  17, 

'Behold,  they  shall  come  forth  unto  you,  and  ye  shall 
see  their  way  and  their  doings  ;  and  ye  shall  be  comforted 
concerning  the  evil  that  I  have  brought  upon  Jerusalem, 
even  concerning  all  that  I  have  brought  upon  it.  And  they 
shall  comfort  you  when  you  see  their  ways  and  their  doings, 
And  ye  shall  know  that  I  have  not  done  without  cause,  all 
that  I  have  done,  saith  the  Lord.' — Ezek.  xiv.  22,  23. 

'I  will  be  his  father,  and  he  shall  be  My  son  ;  if  He  com- 
mit iniquity,  I  will  Chasten  him  with  the  rod  of  men,  and 
with  the  stripes  of  the  children  of  men.  [God's  Punish- 
ments, like  many  things  else  in  the  economy  of  His  govern- 
ment are  wrought  by  secondary  means,  and  not  by  direct  in- 
terposition.] But  My  Mercy  shall  not  depart  away  from 
him.'— 2  Sam.  vii.  14,  15. 

'He  that  Chastiseth  the  heathen,  shall  He  not  Correct  T 
— Ps.  xciv.  10. 

'I  have  wounded  him  with  the  wound  of  an  enemy,  with 
the  Chastisement  of  a  Cruel  one,  for  the  multitude  of  thine 
iniquity  ;  because  thy  sins  were  increased.  Why  criest 
thou  now  for  thine  affliction?  is  thy  sorrow  incurable  for 
the  multitude  of  thine  iniquity?  -  -  I  will  therefore  Restore 
health  unto  thee,  and  I  will  heal  thee  of  thy  ivounds,  saith 
the  Lord.' — Jer.  xxx.  14--17. 

'Deliver  him  unto  Satan  for  the  destruction  of  the  flesh, 
that  his  spirit  may  be  saved  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  Jesus.' — 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  1S3 

1  Cor.  V.  5.  'I  have  delivered  Hymeneus  and  Alexander 
unto  Satan,  that  they  may  learn  not  to  blaspheme.'' — 1  Tim. 
i.  20. 

^Sufficient  to  such  a  man  is  this  punishment ;  so  that  con- 
trariw^ise,  ye  ought  to  forgive  him.' — 2  Cor.  ii.  6.  'Every 
transgression  and  disobedience  received  a  just  Recompense 
of  reward.' — Heb.  ii.  2.  'The  Punishment  of  thine  iniquity 
is  accomplished,  0  daughter  of  Zion.' — Lam.  iv.  22.  These 
passages  prove  that  the  Bible  recognizes  the  divine  Justice 
to  be  entirely  satisfied  not  only  with  limited  punishment  in- 
stead of  endless,  but  with  earthly,  instead  of  hellish. 

'Man  is  Chastened,  also,  with  pain  upon  his  bed,  and  the 
multitude  of  his  bones  with  strong  pains.  -  -  Lo  I  all  these 
things  worketh  God  oftentimes  with  man,  to  bring  back  his 
soul  from  the  pit,  to  be  enlightened  with  the  light  of  the 
Living.^ — Job  xxxiii.  19,  29. 

'I  will  not  make  a  full  end  of  thee,  but  correct  thee  in 
measure  ;  yet  will  I  not  leave  thee  wholly  unpunished.' — 
Jer.  xlvi.  28;  xxx.  2. 

'When  Thou  with  rebuke  dost  correct  man  for  his  iniq- 
uity. Thou  makest  his  pride  to  consume  away  like  a  moth.* 
— Ps.  xxxix.  11. 


«  GO  AND  SIN  NO  MORE." 

"Deal  gently  with  tlie  Erring  ! 
Ye  know  not  of  the  pow'r 
With  which  the  dark  temptation  came 
In  some  unguarded  hour. 
Ye  may  not  know  how  earnestly. 
He  struggled,  or  how  well, 
Until    the    hour   of  weakness   came. 
And  sadly  thus  he  fell. 

Think  kindly  of  the  Erring  ! 
O,  do  not  thou  forget. 
However   darkly    stain'd   by   sin, 
He  is  thy  Brother  yet. 
Eleir  of  the  self-same  heritage. 
Child  of  the  self-same  God, 
He  halh  but  stumbled  in  the  path. 
Thou  hast  in  weakness  trod. 


184  heasons  ?or  our  hope. 

Speak  mildly  to  the  Erring  ! 
For  is  it  not  enough, 
That  innocence  and  peace  liave  gone, 
Without  thy  censure  rough  ? 
It  sure  must  be  a  weary  lot, 
That  sin-crush'd  heart  to  bear, 
And  they  who  share  a  happier  fate, 
Their  chidings  well  may  spare. 

0,  kindly  help  the  Erring  ! 
Thou  yet  may'st  lead  him  back, 
With  gracious  words  and  tones  of  love, 
From  misery's  thorny  track. 
Forget  not  thou  hast  often  sinn'd, 
And  sinful  yet  must  be, — 
Deal  gently  with  the  erring  one. 
As  God  hath  dealt  with  thee  !" 

Miss  H.  J.  Woodman. 

Divine  Punishment    for  all  transgression  is  certain, — it  is  not   by  any 
means  or  power  whatever  to  be  avoided, 

'He  that  doeth  wrong  shall  receive  for  the  wrong  which 
he  hath  done.' — Col.  iii.  25. 

'God  will  BY  NO  MEANS  cleat  the  Guilty.' — Ex.  xxxiv.  6. 

'He  will  NOT  AT  ALL  acquit  the  wicked.' — Nah.  i.  5. 

'Though  hand  join  in  hand,  the  wicked  shall  not  be  Un- 
punished.'— Prov.  xi.  21. 

'Whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap.' — 
Gal.  vi.  7. 

'God  will  bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with  every 
secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good,  or  whether  it  be  evil.' — 
Eccl.  xii.  i4. 

Carrying  all  retribution  into  the  future  state,  orthodoxy 
greatly  discountenances  this  proposition.  It  teaches,  not 
that  every  individual  shall  be  both  equitably  rewarded  and 
punished  for  his  good  and  evil  works,  but  that  all  the  re- 
wards shall  be  exclusively  inherited  by  one  division  of  man- 
kind, and  that  all  the  retribution  is  for  the  remainder,  only. 
Now,  who  does  not  know  that,  as  much  as  the  Scriptures 
have  to  say  about  the  Forgiveness,  the  Remission,  the  Non 
Remembrance,  the  Pardon,  the  Taking  Away,  of  Sm,  of  In- 
iquity, of  Transgression,— it  is  altogether  silent,  from  begin- 


REASONS    FOR    OXJR    HOPE.  185 

ning  to  end,  of  any  such  thing  as  remission  o{ Pumshment. 
It  speaks  of  the  forgiveness,  and  blotting-out,  and  redemp- 
tion from  sins,  after  the  execution  of  judgment,  (as  will  be 
shown  under  Prop.  XXXVII,)  and  the  redemption  from  the 
source  of  Punishment  and  misery  is  a  far  different,  and  a 
far  more  merciful  and  necessary  thing,  than  the  deliverance 
from  the  just  and  sdlxxidiTY punishment,  which  our  sins  incur. 

"Say,  does  llie  wretch  whom  human  laws  release, 
'Scape  Heaven's  high  wrath,  and  pass  his  days  in  peace  ? 
No  legislature    ot*  the  earth    below, 
E'er  Iram'd  a  punishment  that  match'd  his  woe, 
Who  bears  along,  where'er  he  bends  his  way, 
His  own  condemning  witness  night  and  day." 

Gifford's  Juvenal. 


Divine  Piinishinpnt  is  always  executed  upon  the  head  of  the  trans- 
gressor, and  never  upon  anollier's,  by  way  of  zmpw^afiow  or  Sub- 
stitution. 

'Every  one  shall  die  for  his  own  iniquity  ;  whoso  eateth 
the  sour  grape  [of  sin,]  his  teeth  shall  be  set  on  edge.' — 
The  ill  effects  of  the  unwholesome  sour  grape  is  confined 
to  that  individual  alone  who  eats;  and  thus  it  is  with  sin. 
And  it  is  observable  that  those  ill  effects ^oz<7  from  the  in- 
dulgence Visits  natural  consequences  ;  and  those  not  '\x\.  eter- 
nity, but  'presently.     Jer.  xxxi.  30. 

'Yet  say  ye,  Doth  not  the  son  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  fa- 
ther ?' — Ezek.  xviii.  19.  'He  shall  not  die  for  the  iniquity 
of  the  father  ?'— v.  17.  'The  soul  that  sinneth  IT  shall  die. 
The  son  shall  not  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  father,  neither 
shall  the  father  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  son  ;  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  righteous  shall  be  upon  him,  and  the  wickedness 
of  the  wicked  shall  be  upon  him.' — verse  20. 

'Say  ye  to  the  righteous  that  it  shall  be  well  with  them  ; 
for  they  shall  eat  the  reward  of  their  doings.  Wo  unto  the 
wicked!  it  shall  be  ill  with  Am;  for  the  reward  of  Az'^AaW* 
shall  be  given  him.'' — Isa.  iii.  10,  11. 

'He  that  jiistijieth  the  loicked,  and  He  that  condemneth  the 
Just,  even  they  both  are  an  abomination  to  the  Lord.' — 
Prov.  xviii.  15.  The  doctrine  of  the  Vicarious  Atonement 
of  Christ  does  both  of  these.     It  justifies  the  wicked  by  sav- 


186  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

incr  from  just  punishment,  and  condemns  the  Just  in  heaping 
the  aggregate  amount  of  suffering  due  to  the  whole  guilty- 
race,  as  it  pretends,  upon  the  person  of  the  Innocent  Jesus. 

"Wh;it  nothing  earthlv  gives  nor  can  destroy, 
The  soul's  calm  sunshine  and  the  heartlelt  joy, 
Is  Virtue's  prize  ; — a  belter  would  you  fix  ? 
Then  give  humility  a  coach  and  six  !" 
"Know  then  this  truth,  enough  for  man  to  know, 
Virtue  alone  is  happiness  below." — Pope. 

DiviiiP  Punishments  are  immediate, — speediiy  overtaking  the  rommis- 
sion  of  sin,  and  groun'reg^  o«<  q/"<ran*-greAA!o?i,  naturally,  aa  all  eflecls 
follow  their  causes. 

'In  thk  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou  shall  surely  die.' 
— Gen.  ii.  17.  The  serpent  said,  'Ye  shall  not  surely  die.' 
Partialism  teaches,  There  is  a  means  to  clear  the  Guilty,  a 
way  of  escape  ;  if  ve  sin  ye  shall  not  surely  die,  for  the  death 
is  not  in  the  day  thou  eatest,  but  in  eternity,  and  may  there- 
fore be  readily  dodged.  Who  then  preaches  the  serpent's 
doctrine?  By  thus  'putting  far  aivay  the  evil  day,' do  they 
not  most  seriously  and  effectually  'strengthen  the  hand  of  the 
wicked  that  he  should  not  return  from  his  evil  way  V 

'The  WAGES,  [Dr.  Clarke  and  others  interpret,  the  daily 
pay]  of  sin  is  death.'— Rom.  vi.  23. 

'The  way  of  the  transgressor  is  hard.'— Prov.  xiii.  15. 
'The  way  of  the  wicked  the  Lord  turneth  upside  down.'— 
Ps.  cxlvi.  9.  'The  way  of  the  wicked  is  as  darkness.' — 
Prov.  iv.  19.  'Let  the  way  of  the  wicked  be  dark  and 
slippery.' — Ps.  xxxv.  5.  'Thorns  and  snares  are  in  the  way 
of  the  froward.'— Prov.  xxii.  5.  'Destruction  and  misery 
are  in  their  ways.'— Rom.  iii.  16.  But  'the  rough  ways 
shall  be  made  smooth,  and  All  Flesh  shall  see  the  Salvation 
of  God.'— Luke  iii.  6.  But  'The  ways  of  wisdom  are  ways 
of  pleasantness,  and  all  her  paths  are  peace. '•--Prov.  iii,  17. 

•There  is  no  peace  to  the  wicked.' — Isa.  xlviii.  22. — 
♦They  are  like  the  troubled  sea,  when  it  cannot  rest,  whose 
waters  cast  up  mire  and  dirt.' — Isa.  Ivii.  20. 

'All  his  days  the  wicked  man  is  tormented  with  pain^ 
-  -  a  fearful  sound  is  in  hisears.^ — Job  xv.  21. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  187 

'Can  a  man  take  Jire  in  his  bosom  and  his  clothes  be  not 
burned?  Can  one  go  upon  hot  coals  and  his  feet  not  be 
burned  ?'— Prov.  vi.  27,  28.  For  'wickedness  burneth  like 
fire.' — Isa.  ix.  5. 

How  well  did  the  Wise  Man  express  the  legitimate  ten- 
dency of  the  contrary  doctrine,  when  he  wrote,  'Because 
sentence  against  an  evil  work  is  [erroneously  suj^osed  to 
be]  NOT  EXECUTED  SPEEDILY,  therefore  the  heart  of  the  sons 
of  men  \s  fully  set  in  them  to  do  evil.' — Ec.  viii.  11. 

The  most  eminent  writers  on  criminal  jurisprudence  have 
admitted  and  demonstrated  the  superior  efficacy  of  penalties 
that  are  inevitably  and  quickly  atvarded,  to  inspire  restraint, 
over  those  that  may  be  delayed  for  an  indefinite  period,  and 
which  supply  ineans  of  escape.  They  have  contended  also 
that  it  is  the  certaintvJ  infinitely  more  than  the  severity 
of  Punishment,  whieh  induces  the  most  effectual  restriction 
upon  crime. 

"The  burning  oath  which  quivered  on  the  lip, 
Starts  back,  and  sears,  and  blisters  up  the  tongue  ; 
Confusion  ransacks  the  abandon'd  heart, 
Quells  the  bold  blood,  and  o'er  the  vaulted  brow 
Slips  the  white  woman  hand." 

Divine   Punishment    appertains    to   the  flesh,   to  the  body,  and  to 

THIS  WORLD. 

'If  a  man  soweth  to  the  flesh,  he  shall  of  the  flesh  reap 
corruption.' — Gal.  vi.  7.  What  would  we  think  of  a  farmer 
who  expected  to  reap  in  the  far-distant  and  contrary  climes 
of  the  Indies,  the  grain  that  he  sowed  in  Ohio  ? 

'The  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his  Father 
with  his  angels ;  and  then  shall  he  reward  every  man  ac- 
cording to  his  works.  Verily,  I  say  unto  you  there  be  some 
standing  here,  who  shall  not  taste  of  death,  till  they 
see  the  Son  of  Man  Coming  in  his  Kingdom.^— Mai.  xvi.  28. 

It  is  in  body  that  a  man  receives  according  to  that  he  hath 
done,  whether  it  be  good  or  bad. — 2  Cor.  v.  10.  Believers 
of  future  punishment  for  the  sins  of  this  life,  are  inconsis- 
tent in  acknowledging  as  many  of  them  do,  that  this  life  only 
is  the  dispensation  of  rewards,  and  that  heaven  is  therefore 


18S  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

not  a  reward  for  the  virtues  of  this  world,  but  a  Free  Gift. 
Either  endless  happiness  is  a  Reward,  and  endless  misery 
a  Piinishment.,  for  the  actions  of  time,  and  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  reward  and  punishment  in  iJiis  life;  or,  if  virtue 
and  crime  entail  upon  man  happiness  and  misery  respectively 
here,  then  the  future  life  is  not  a  dispensation  of  rewards 
and  punishments,  and  if  there  be  a  state  of  exaltation  for  the 
soul  in  the  next  world,  it  is  not  purchasable  at  all  as  a  re- 
ward,  but  an  unmerited,  and  therefore  Universal,  Gift,  of 
the  Divine  Beneficence.  Universalists  are  always  free  to 
admit  tliat  punishment  will  exist  as  long  as  sin  ;  for  it  is 
a  maxim  with  them,  that  all  sin  itself  is  misery.  But,  for  the 
most  convincing  reasons,  they  as  strenuously  insist  that 
when  sin  ceases,  Punishment  also  ceases.  See  on  this  point 
Ezek.  xviii.  21-29.  And  while  they  agree  with  the  Proph- 
et, that  •(j;^?";/?^'/?/ ?5  7?o<  j9?<ro'C6^  till  we  die, — Isa.  xxii.  14, 
they  also  maintain  that  'Ae  that  hath  suffered  in  the  flesh 
hath  CEASED  FROM  SIN,'— 1  Pet.  iv.  1,  and  therefore  cannot 
countenance  the  doctrine  of  future  punishment  until  they 
are  convinced  that  the  spirit  is  travelling  to  a  region  of  like 
templalions  and  imperfections  with  those  of  this  world.— 
The  disposition,  capacity,  motives,  means,  and  permission 
of  the  unencumbered  soul  for  siiming  in  the  strange  life 
upon  which  it  emerges  from  this,  is  the  only  rational  ground 
whatever  for  the  belief  of  {u\.uxe  penal  unhappiness,  a  ground 
which  we  have  a  great  confidence,  cannot  be  derived  from 
the  Scriptures,  but  is  opposed  by  them.  (It  is  sufficient 
to  mention  here  only  the  viith  of  Romans.)  And  were  even 
that  position  to  be  sustained,  it  would  afford  not  tjie  slight- 
est support  to  endless  misery,  in  the  light  of  such  an  amount 
of  evidence  as  we  have  already  exhibited,  to  prove  the  ulti- 
mate annihilation  of  sin,  pain,  sorrow,  ignorance,  error,  the 
devil,  death,  and  hell,  the  universal  triumph  and  prevalence 
of  good,  the  complete  victory  which  Christ  shall  achieve, 
and  the  thorough  accomplishment  of  the  Divine  Pleasure 
and  Purposes,  which  the  might  of  Jehovah  is  working  out, 

'The  wicked  and   the    sinner   are   recompensed   in  the 
earth.''  -Prov.  xi.  31. 

'Verily,  He  is  a  God   that  judgeth  in   the  earth.'' — Ps. 


KEASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  189 

Iviii.  11.  'His  judgments  are  in  all  the  earth.'— \  C\ixox\. 
xvi.  14;  Ps.  cv.  7.  'He  exerciseth  lovinij-kindness,  jwrfo-- 
meiit,  and  righteousness  in  the  earth.'— jer.  ix.  24.  See 
also  John  ix.  39;  Jer.  xxiii.  5;  xxxiii.  15,  &c. 

The  Bible  records  about  a  hundred    instances   of  divine 
punishments  executed  in  the  earth,  and  is  filled  with  threat- 
enings  of  every  kind  of  earthly  evils,  as  the  reward  of  trans- 
gression ;    but  in  no  single  instance  does    it  ever  denounce 
the  penalty  of  suffering   upon   the   soul,   in   the  immortal 
world,  for  the  commission  of  any  sin,  or  for  the  disobedience 
of  any  law  or  commandment  that  is  therein  declared. 
"  'But  sometimes  Virtue  st;irves.  while  Vice  is  fed.' 
What  then  ?    Is  the  reward  of  Virtue  bread} 
That,   Vice  may  merit,  'lis  liie  price  of  toil  ; 
The  ivnave  deserves  it  if  he  tills  the  soil. 
Health  and  possessions  e'en  the  ro(;iie  may  have. 
If  prudence  and  some  virtues  he  shall  save  ; 
The  pious  may  be  weak  and  indolent, — 
Then  shall  they  claim  that  plenty  must  be  sent  ?" 
"Fortune  her  ^nfts  may  variously  dispose, 
And  these  be  happy  call'd,  unhappy  those  ; 
But  Heaven's  just  balance  eq7/,al  will  appear, 
While  those  are  plac'd  in  hope,  and  these  in  fear." — Pope. 

Divine  Punishments  are  always  Just, — equitably  proportionate  to  oflences. 

'Unto  Thee,  0  Lord  beJongeth  Morcv:  for  Thou  render- 
est  to  every  man  according  to  his  ivork.'—Fs.  Ixii.  12. 

'Give  them  according  to  their  deeds,  and  according  to  the 
wickedness  of  their  endeavors,  (moZ?re5;)  give  them  after 
the  work  of  their  hands  ;  render  to  them  their  desert.' — Ps 
xxviii.  4. 

^According  to  their  deeds,  accordingly  He  will  repay.' — 
Isa.  lix.  IS.  'Shall  not  He  render  to  every  man  according 
to  his  ivork  ?'—Frov.  xxiv.  12.  'Who  will  render  to  every 
man  according  to  his  deeds.' — Rom.  ii.  6;  2  Cor.  v.  10. 

'That  servant  which  kneio  his  lord's  will,  and  prepared 
not  himself,  neither  did  according  to  his  will,  shall  be  beaten 
with  7nany  stripes.  But  he  that  knew  not,  and  did  things 
worthy  of  stripes,  shall  be  beaten  with/ew  stripes.  For  unto 
whomsoever  ??z?^c/^  is  given,  of  him  shall  be  much  required.' 
—Luke  xiii.  47,  48. 

L 


190  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

This  is  another  characteristic  of  the    Universalian    views 
on  the  subject  of  Cod's  Punishnicnts,  wliich  is   picvliar  to 
them.     That  the  doctrine  of  endless  woe  is  incon>isleut  with 
this  principle  of  the  due  apportionment  of  rewaids  and  pun- 
ishments, is  very  evident,  a'.id  indeed,  repudiates  it  in  sevc' 
ral  ways,  as  we  will  show.     According  to  that  doctrine,   an 
individual  suffers  the   same   eternal  doom  who  dies  in  one 
sin,  as  he  who  has  committed  a  vnilion.     The  curse  is  alike 
an  endless  curse,  upon  the  young  man  or  woman,  and  upon 
the  adult.     It  is  tlie  sane  where  the   temptation  was  great, 
and  the  mind  iveali,  and  motive  good,  and  ihe  sin  apparently 
jmtfwhle,  and  where  all  these  circumstances   were  directly 
the  reverse.     The  same  for  the  pilferint,^  of  an  apple,  or  for 
an  irreverent  word,   as  for  a;)a?rzd(^e.      The  same   where 
the  man  has  hecn    reared  under    circumstances   altogether 
favorable  to  the  cultivation  of  his  moral  nature,   and    where 
another  is  necessarily  wicked  from  being  born  and  bred    in 
the  midst  of  misery  and  crim.e.     One  person  is  a  pious,  ex- 
emplary, industrious,  honest,   and  amiable  man    for  half  a 
century,  and   then    his  appetite   is   treacherous,    overcomes 
him,— his  life  is  cut  ofTduring  a  midnight  revel  at  the  bowl, 
and  his  spirit  is  plunged  into  an  abyss  of  infinitely  gnaler, 
and  endless  suffering.     Another  is  a  reckless,  depraved,  and 
desperate  being,  a  complete  slave  to   all    tlie    evil  passions, 
who,  after  a  Icng  career  of  undiminished  criminality,    goes 
to  the  anxious  seals,  gets  convei ted,  dies,  and  goes  to  heav- 
en.    Here  are  two  sisters,  twins,    dying   together  in    each 
other's  arms  upon  the  same  couch  ;  one  has  done  just  a  suf- 
ficient number  of  good  works  in  her   life-time  lo  entitle   her 
to  immortal  joys  ;    the   other  lias  performed   one  less,  and 
must  therefore  descend  to  hopeless   perdition.       One    child 
who  has  just  attained    'the  line   of  acccvnt ability,''  dies    in 
some  act  of  wilful  wrong,  and  sinks  to  hell ;    another  child, 
who  is  a  day  younger  is  a  participant  of  the  same  deed,  and 
is  killed  through  it,  at  the  same  instant,  but  rii-es  to  heaven. 
A  dies  find  is  saved,  having  committed  9999  sins,  and   per- 
formed 10000  deeds  of  righteousness  ;  escaping  all  the  end- 
less misery  due  for  his  sins.     B  die?,  having  sinned   ICCOO 
times  and  performed  6999  good  works  ;  but  B  is  eternally 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  191 

dam7ied  hr  his  sins,  a.nd  also  eternall}'  deprived  of  all  re- 
ward for  his  9999  acts  of  goodness!  Strange,  that  such 
oblique  and  unworthy  notions  of  Divine  Justice,  should  ever 
obtain  credence  among  sensible  men  and  reverent  Chris- 
tians ! 

♦Can  tliey  who  covet  this  world's  worthiest  goods, 
Wealth,  honor,  power,  knowledge,  rank,  or  au^ht. 
Merit  eternal  torme/il  (or  i/ie  sins, 

Whercwiih  are  link'd  the  world's  prosperity. 

And  Inniian  jrlory,' — {Festiis.)  [ihings  allow'd  of  Heav'n  ? 

Iri  thut  a  doom  wdicb  ilio  All-Just  shall  judije 

Meet  for  the  spirit  ot  inimorial  Man, 

And  only  eqwil  \o  the  transient  wrongs 

That  clayey  bfjiii;s,  in  an  evil  \<orld, 

Involunialely  broii;L.'hi,  in  blindness  do  ? 

Say  nouL'ht  of  what  the  human  soul  may  claim 

Of  naiiira/  compassion   from  iis  (iod, 

Throuijii  His  divine,  indissoluble  ties. 

Of  M.iKer.  Father,  Friend,   Preserver,  God  ;  — 

S.iy  nought  of  luiman  weakness,  evil's  sirenuth, — 

Of  ilie  wise  purposes  of  Heaven  with  III, — 

Thai  sin  and  misery  ^o  harid  in  hand. 

And  servinc;  sin,  man  only  harms  himself, 

And  not  Jshovah  ; — take  not  into    account 

The  sacntice  propiiial  of   the  Son, 

For  all  the  gmlt  of  man  ;— consider  not 

The  might  ol  God  and  wisdom,  adrqiiale 

To  s  ive  the  most  sin  fallen  of  the  race  , 

And  a'we  them  ani»el-spiriis  ;-  set  a?ide 

Tlie  nobler  glory  that  redomids  to  Him 

From  triumphs  of  His  li»ve  and  holiness, 

Tlian  from  the  arm  of  drwad  Omnipotence 

Employ'd  to  «  reak  revenge,  to  curse  and  crush 

The  works  of  iis  o.vn  skill,  and  huild  a  ihrone 

Of  endless  sin  and  woe; — waive  all  of  these. 

And  let  the  precept  harsh,  of  looiii  for  tooth, 

And  ill  for  ill,  punctiliously  exact. 

Measure  vvith  rigid  hamj  the  desert  woes 

That  the  most  criminated  soul  hath  narn'd 

Which  God  hath  ever  fishionM, — an<i  then  say, 

If  endle.-s.  ertf//ess,  God-enduhing  pains. 

Continued  still  unsparing  when   the  earth. 

And  moon,  and  planet-orbs,  and  sun. 

Anil  system  hosts  unto  the  infinite  depths 

Where  very  Omnipiesence  fades  away, 

Sh  ill  all  have  moulder'd  to  their  piimal  chaos 

From  worn-out  wcaiiness  of  being  ; — say, 


192  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

If  such  a  recompence  would  not  disniatch 
Tlie  fair  award  of  justice,  as  the  High, 
The  Infinite,  All-Universal  God 
Is  frreater  than  tliyself,  or  as  thy  life 
Is  briefer  than  Eteriiiiy  ?] 

Divine  Puiiisl'.nienis  sire  for  human  sake,  and  not  for  ihe  juirpoee  of 
pacifying  anv  iniiigiiiary  sathJartioH  which  the  Broken  Lew  is  Kuppoerd 
to  demand, — hecanse  lite  fvils  of  men  aie  only  mlf-iiijnrioits,  tliey 
cannot,  work  out  any  harm  to  Di-ity,  or  to  ilie  things  of  Heaven. 

'Do  they  provoke  Me  lo  anger  ?  .saith  the  Lord  ;  do  they 
not  [rather  provoke]  themselves,  to  the  confusion  of  ^Aeir  ozow 
faces?'— Jer.  vii.  19. 

'Can  a  man  be  profitable  unto  God,   as   he   that  is   wise 

may  be  profitable  unto  himselfi     Is  it  any  pleasure  [benefit] 

10  the  Almighty  that  thou  art  righteous  ?  or  is  it  ^-am  to  him 

,  that  thou  maJcest  thy  ways  perfect  ?     Will  he  rcproVe  thee 

/br  FEAR  of  thee?'— Joh  xxii.  2--4. 

'If  thou  sinnest  dost  thou  zVy'wre  Hm  .?  or  if  thy  trans- 
(Tressions  be  multiplied,  what  hurt  dost  thou  unto  Him  ?  If 
thou  be  righteous,  what  givest  Thou  Him?  or  what  receiv- 
eth  He  at  thine  hand  ?  Thy  toickechiess  may  harm  only  a 
man,  as  thou  art,  and  thy  righteousness  profit  only  the  son 
of  man.'— ioh  xxxv.  6--8. 

'Thou  art  my  Lord,  my  goodness  extendeth  not  to  Thee, 
but  to  the  saints  that  are  in  the  earth,  and  to  the  excellent.' 
-~Ps.  xvi.  2,  3. 

•'  Say,  in  pursuit  of  profit  or  delight. 
Who  risk  the  most,  that  take  wrong  means  or  right  ? 
Or  Vice,  or  Virtue,  whether  blest  or  curst. 
Which  meets  contempt,  and  which  compassion  first  ? 
Count  all  th'   advantage  prosp'rous  Vice  attains, 
'Tis  but  what  Virtue  flies  from  and  disdains  ; 
And  grant  the  had  what  happiness  they  would, 
One  they  shall  want,  the  consciousness  of  good. 
O,  blind  to  truth,  and  God's  whole  scheme  below. 
Who  fancy  bliss  to  vice,  to  virtue,  woe. 
Who  sees  and  follows  that  great  scheme  the  best, 
Best  knows  the  blessing,  and  will  most  be  blest  ; 
But  fools  the  good  the  most  unhappy  call. 
For  ills  or  accidents  which  be  for  all," — Essay  on  Man. 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  Wo 

The  Iniquities  of  Man,  tlirongh  the  Misery  vvlicli  they  entail  upon  him, 
are  so  ordered  by  tlie  care  and  wisdom  of  Providence,  tUat  they  shall 
in  some  measure,  work  out  their  own  cure. 

^  Thine  own  loicJcedness  shall  correct  thee,  and  thy 
backslidings  shall  reprove  thee;  know  therefore, [by  grievous 
experience,]  and  see,  that  it  is  an  evil  thing  and  a  bitter, 
that  thou  hast  forsaken  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  that  My 
fear  is  not  in  thee,  saith  the  Lord  God  of  hosts.' — Jr.  ii.  19. 

'1  will  feed  them  ivith  their  ownjlesh,  and  they  shall  be 
drunken  with  their  own  blood,  [ihey  shall  be  surfeited  and 
intoxicated  with  their  own  filthiness,]  as  with  sweet  wine; 
and  All  Flesh  shall  know  that  I  the  Lord  am  thy  Saviour 
and  thy  Redeemer,  the  Mighty  One  of  Jacob.' — Isa.  xlix.  26. 

'Behold,  is  it  not  of  the  Lord,  that  the  People  shall  labor 
in  the  very  fire,  and  that  the  People  shall  weary  themselves 
for  very  vanity?  For  the  Earth  shall  be  filled  with  the 
Knowledge  of  the  Glory  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover 
the  sea.'— Hab.  ii.  13,  14. 

'Then  shall  ye  remember  your  own  evil  ways,  and  your 
doings  that  were  not  good,  and  shall  loathe  yourselves  in 
your  own  sight  for  your  iniquities  and  your  abominations. 

-  -  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  in  that  day  I  shall  have  Clean- 
sed you  from  all  your  iniquities.' — Ezek.  xxxvi.  31—33. 

'Then  thou  shalt  remember  thy  ways,   and   be    ashamed, 

-  -  that  thou  may'st  remember  and  be  confounded,  and  never 
open  thy  mouth  any  more  because  of  thy  shame,  when  I 
am  pacified  toward  thee  for  all  that  thou  hast  done,  saith  the 
Lord.' — Ezek.  xvi.  61-63. 

The  parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son,  (xvth  Luke,)  affords  a 
beautiful  and  striking  illustration  of  this  principle. 

•'Crime,  misery,    and  evil  are  in  earth, 
Falseheod,  mistake,  and  lust.     But  )f  the  soul. 
In  the  eternal  world  shall  yet  be  taint, 
The  Spirit  sliall  provide  effec'ual  cure. 
Some  eminent  in  virtue  shall  start  up, 
Ev'n  for  the  succour  of  perversest  souls  : 
The  truths  of  their  pure  lips,  that  never  die, 
Shall  bind  the  scorpion  Evil  with  a  wreath 

Of  everlasting  flame. 
Until  the  monster  sting  itself  to  death  !"— Shellet. 


194  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 


PROPOSITION  THIRTY-FOURTH. 

The  Transitory  Existence  of  EVIL  was  Fore-Known  and 
Fore- Appointed  of  the  Lord,  and  thus  is  not  an  Irreme- 
diable or  Almighty  Principle,  hut  is  eritirely  Subject 
to  Infinite  Potver  and  Wisdom,  and  loas  Ordained  jor 
the  ultimate  atta/cnment  of  a  more  superlative  degree  of 
Universal  Glory. 

1st.  Tli;it  the  Evil  Principle  is  a  Divine  Agent. 

"Happy  the  man  who  sees  a  Goil  ernploy'd, 
III  111!  the  good  and  ill  that  checkers  life  ; 
Resolving  all  events  wiiit  their  efltjcts, 
And  niar>ifold  icsnils,    into  the  will 
And  arbitration  wise  of  the  Supreme." — Cowper. 

PROOFS. 

'Behold  I  have  created  the  smith  that  hloweth  the  coals 
in  the  fire,  and  that  bringeth  forth  the  instrument  for  his 
work:  and  I  hate  Created  the  Waster  to  Destroy.^ — Isa. 
liv.  16. 

'I  am  the  Lord,  and  there  is  none  else  !  I  form  the  Light, 
and  Create  Darkness;  I  make  Peace,  [Good,']  and  Create 
Evil.     I,  the  Lord,  do  all  these  things.' — Isa.  xlv.  6,  7. 

'Shall  we  receive  Goo^  at  the  hand  of  the  Lord,  and  shall 
we  not  receive  Evil?' — Job  ii.  13. 

'Shall  there  be  Evil  in  a  city  and  ^/^c  Lordhviih  not  done 
it?' — Amos  iii.  6. 

'The  Lord  hath  Created  even  the  Wicked  for  the  day  of 
Evil.' — Prov.  xvi.  4.  'God,  in  Avhose  hand  is  our  breath, 
and  WHOSE  are  all  our  ways.'' — Dan.  v.  23.  For,  '/?i  Him 
we  live,  and  biove,  and  have  our  being.' — Acts  xvii.  23. 

'Affliction  cometh  not  forth  from  the  dust,  neither  doth 
Trouble  spring  out  of  the  ground.' — Job  v.  6.  'The  Lord 
gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away  ;  blessed  be  the  name 
of  the  Lord.'— Job  i.  22.  Yet  all  the  sore  afflictions  Avhich 
it  was  the  misfortune  of  this  good  man  to  suffer,  are  in  other 
places,  ascribed  to  a  personification  called  Satan,  (i.  6—12; 
ii.  1--8;  xxiii.  14,  &c.)     Granting  the  actual  existence  of  a 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  195 

spiritual  beins^  or  bsings  who  are  messengers  of  evil  doing, 
it  must  be  admitted,  if  its  believer  acknowledges  the  Sove- 
reignty of  God  and  Good,  that  such  beings  are  as  much  de- 
penieiit  and  suborcUnile  creatures  as  we  are,  and  are  there- 
fore ordained  by  Him,  for  wise  and  benign  purposes,  although 
they  cause  temptation,  sinning,  delusion,  and  suffering,  and 
can  do  nothing  except  by  permission  and  commission.  See 
1  Sam.  xix.  9  ;  Judges  ix.  23. 

'The  law  entered  that  the  offence  might  abound.' — Rom. 
V.  20.  The  Creation  wns  made  subject  to  vanity;  -  -  -  God 
hath  subjected  i\\Q  Creation  to  the  Bondage  of  Corruption. — 
Rom.  viii.  22.  The  spirit  of  man  is  sown  in  Dishonour. — 
1  Cor.  XV.  51. 

'[  find  then,'  says  Paul,  'a  law  ['in  the  flesh,']  that  when 
I  woulil  do  good,  [that  is,  when  he  would  obey  the  natural 
impulses  of  the  souU\  evil  is  present  with  me.  For  I  delight 
in  the  law  of  God  after  the  [promptings  of]  the  inner  man, 
[the  soul.'\  But  I  see  another  law,  in  my  tnembers,  warring 
against  the  law  of  my  mind,  and  bringing  me  into  captivity 
to  THE  LAW  OF  SIN,  which  is  in  my  members.  [The  apostle 
here  represents  sinning  to  be  a  natural,  fixed  law  of  this 
weak,  mortal  boJy.]  Who  shall  deliver  me,  (exclaims  he,) 
from  the  body  of  this  death  ?  God,  I  thank,  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.  So,  then,  loith  theinind,  I  serve  the  law 
of  Go  1 ;  hwiioiththefiesh,  the  Law  of  Sin.' — Rom.  vii. 
21 --25. 

'When  Jesus  dipped  the  sop,  he  gave  it  to  Judas  Iscariot, 
after  v.'hich  Satan  [the  temptation]  entered  into  him.' — .John 
xiii.  26.  'None  of  thein  is  lost  [from  his  apnstleship]  but 
the  son  of  perdition,  that  the  Script ztr es  viight  be  Fulfilled.' 
— xvii.  S.  'Those  things  which  God  had  shmvn  by  the 
mouth  of  all  His  Prophets,  that  Christ  should  suffer.  He 
hath  so  Fufilled.' — Acts  iii.  IS.  'Him  being  delivered  by 
THE  Determinate  Counsel  and  Foreknoivledge  of  God, 
ye  have  taken,  and  by  wicked  hands  have  crucified  and 
slain.' — Acts  ii.  23.  'Against  thy  holy  child  Jesus,  whom 
Thou  hast  anointed,  both  Herod  and  Pontius  Pilate,  with 
the  Gentiles  and  the  People  of  Israel,  were  gathered  together 


196  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

for  to  do  lokatsoever  Thy  hand  and  Thy  Counsel  befork 
Determined  to  bj:  done.' — iv.  28. 

'The  Lord  had  appointed  to  defeat  the  good  counsel  of 
Ahiihopcl,  \o  the  intent  that  the  Lord  might  bring  evil  upon 
Absalom.'— 2  Sam.  xvii.  14. 

'And  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  saying,  -  -  Malire  the 
heart  of  this  people  fat,  and  make  their  ears  heavy,  and 
shut  their  eyes ;  lest  they  see  with  their  eyes,  and  hear 
with  their  ears,  and  understand  with  their  hearts,  and  be 
converted  and  healed.' — Isa.  vi.  8—10.  Is  not  this  a  plain 
evidence  that  the  unbelief  of  the  Jews  is  in  accordance  with 
the  most  wise  Purpose  of  the  Lord  ?  Do  yon  not  recollect 
that,  'As  many  as  were  ordained  to  eternal  life  [only,]  be- 
lieved ?'— Acts  xiii.  48;  see  Rom.  viii.  29,  30;  ix.  18. 

'And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Go  in  unto  Pharaoh,  for 
I  have  hardened  his  heart,  and  the  heart  of  his  servants,  [this 
is  a  proof  against  unlimited  freeAvill,]  that  I  might  show  these 
signs  before  him.' — Exod.  x.  1.  'He  turned  their  heart  to 
hate  His  people,  to  deal  subtly  with  His  servants.' — Ps. 
cv.  25. 

'And  the  Lord  said,  Thou  shalt  entice  him,  and  thou 
shalt  also  prevail  ;  go  out  and  do  even  so.  Now  therefore, 
behold,  the  Lord  hath  put  a  lying  spirit  in  the  mouth  of 
these  thy  prophets,  and  the  Lord  hath  spoken  evil  against 
thee.'--  2  Chron.  xviii.  21,  22. 

"Ciin  imperfection  from  Perfection  rome  ? 
Can  God  make  ouiilit  less  perfect  ihan  Himself? — 
Tliere  are  in  all  thinirs  but  iliese  three  proportions. 
The  grr.ater,  equal,  less.     God  could  not  make 
A  God  above  Himself,  nor  Equal  vviili — 
And  ilms  is  He  necessitaiely  Highest. 
So,  if  He  make,  it  must  be  lesser  minds. 
Little  and  less,  from  angels  down  to  men. 
Whose  natures  are  imperfect,  as  His  Own 
Must  be  All  PiM-fe';!.     These  tsvo  slates  are  not 
Except  as  whole  unto  its  parts,  opposed  ; 
And  Evil  is  itself  ?(0  ill,  unless 
Creation  be.     Is  God  then  Evil's  author  ? 
Only  as  evil  conies  from  imperfection. 
And  imperfection  from  the  tiiinirs  He  halh  made. 
And  wiiat  He  hath  made,  from  His  will  to  make." — Bailey. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE,  197 

2.1.    That  God  overiiiles  all  Evil  in  Good. 
"We  only  know  tlial  God's  best  Purposes, 
Are  olien  wionij;rit  tlirouuli  Jrciide^t.  means,  and  sinful. 
la  thunder  evil,  and  ihe  de^v  divine  ? 
Does  viilue  lie  in  sunshine,  sin  in  storm  ? 
Is  not  each  natural,  needful,  wisest,  best  ? 
How  know  we  what  is  evil  from  wliat  good  ?" — Festtts. 

'The  sufferings  of  this  present  world  are  not  worthy  to  be 
compared,  ['are  nought  m  comparison  with']  the  Glory  that 
SHALL  be  revealed  in  us.'— Rom.  viii.  IS. 

'For  our  light  affliction  which  is  for  a  moment,  icorheth 
for  7is  a  far  more  exceeding  eternal  weight  of  Glory.' — 2 
Cor.  iv.  17. 

'Thus  saith  the  Lord,  as  I  have  brought  all  this  great  Evil 
upon  this  people,  so  will  I  bring  upon  them  all  the  Good 
that  I  have  Promised" them.' — Jer.  xxxii.  42.  'I  kill,  and  1 
7nake  alive  ;  I  wound,  and  I  heal.''— Dent,  xxxii.  39. 

'Weeping  may  endure  for  a  night,  but  Joy  cometh  in  the 
morning.'~Ps.  xxx.  6. 

'It  is  good  for  me  that  I  have  been  afflicted,  that  I  might 
learn  Thy  Stattifes.^ — Ps.  cxix.  71. 

'The  Lord  hath  torn,  and  He  will  heal  us;  He  hath 
smitten,  and  Fie  will  bind  us  up.'— Hos.  vi.  1.  'He  maketh 
sore,  and  bindeth  up;  He  v/oundeth,  and  His  hands  make 
whole.' — Job  V.  IS.  'The  Lord  killeth,  and  maketh  alive; 
He  bringath  down  to  hell,  and  bringeth  up.  The  Lord  ma- 
keth poor,  and  maketh  rich  ;  He  bringeth  low,  and  lifteth 
up.'— 1  Sam.  ii.  6,7.  'Though  He  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust 
in  Him.' — Job  xiii.  15. 

'It  shall  come  to  pass,  that  like  as  I  have  watched  over 
them  to  pluck  up,  and  to  break  through,  and  to  throw  down, 
and  to  destroy,  and  to  afflict,  so  will  I  watch  over  them  to 
build  and  to  plant,  saith  the  Lord.' — Jer.  xxxi.  2S. 

'But,  where  Sin  abounded,  Grace  did  much  more  abound. 
That  as  Si«  hath  reigned  unto  death,  even  so  might  grace 
reign  through  righteousness  unto  eternal  life.'— Rom.  v.  21. 

'Ye  thought  evil  against  me,  [said  Joseph  to  his  wicked 
brethren,]  but  God  meant  it  unto  good.'— Gen.  xl.  20. 

'Surely,  the  wrath  of  man  shaU  praise  \^Glorify'\  Thee, 
12 


198  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

and  the  remainder  of  wralh  shah  Thou  restrain. '—Ps.  Ixvi. 
10.  'Then  saiih  Je.siis  unto  Satan,  [the  spirit  of  temptation,] 
Get  thee  hence  ;  for  it  is  written,  ihou  shaU  worship,  \glo- 
rify]  the  Lord  THY  God,  and  Him  only  shah  thou  serve* 
—Mat.  iii.  10. 

'For  a  small  moment  have  I  Forsaken  thee,  but  ivith 
Great  Mercies  will  I  gather  thee  ;  in  a  little  wrath  I  hid  My 
iajze  ^o\  a  moment ;  but  with  everlasting  kindness  will  I 
have  Mercy  on  thee,  sailh  thy  Redeemer. '---Isa.  liv.  7,8. 
'The  casting  away  of  the  Jews  is  the  Reconciling  of  the 
World:— ^om.  xi.  "11--15.  Through  the  disbelief  of  the 
Jews  the  kingdom  of  God  was  rnme  to  the  Election,  (the 
rest  being  blinded,)  that  the  whole  body  of  both  Jews  and 
Gentiles  should  thereby  ultimately  obtain  salvation.— 11th 
of  Romans. 

The  conditions  of  Joseph,  Job,  and  others  were  finally 
much  exalted  through  their  mhfortunes,  and  it  is  through 
the  Sufcrings  of  Christ, aud  consequently  also,  through  the 
cr2OTC.9"attondin<i- those  sufferings,  that  the  Glory  of  salvation 
to  'All  Flesh,'~and  'All  Kindreds,'  of  'the  Whole  World,' 
shall  follow.— I  Pet.  i.  11,    iii.  18,    &c. 

'God  is  faithful,  and  will  not  suffer  you  to  be  tempted 
above  that  ye  are  able  ;  but  will  with  the  temptation,  also 
provide  a  way  of  release,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  bear  it.'— 
1  Cor.  X.  13.' 

'  Trihdation  loorketh  patieiice,  and  patience,  experience, 
and  experience,  hope. '---Rom.  v.  3. 

'Our  unrifihtcousness  comvicndcth  the  righteousness  of 
God.  -  -  The  Truth  of  God  hath  more  abounded  through  my 
lie,'  (misbelief.)— Rom.  iii.  5,  7. 

♦•Evil  is  to  God,  what  lightning  is  to  light  ; 

Lijliining  slays  one  thing.  Liyiit  inukes  a//  things  live  ; 

Bear  iheii  thy  nef^essary  ills  with  grace  ; 

No  positive   estate  or    principle 

Is  evil,— debtor  wholly  for  it?  heing 

And  nipasiiie  to  defect, — dcf«ct  to  good. 

Whit  God  direct  Iv  makes  must  e'er  be  good. 

And  what  is  ffood,  in  whole,  or  put.  He  loves 

And  ninst  ;  tlie  others  arc  but  ofl'-siioots.      /// 

/.<  liniitcrl.     What  pow'r  eoidd  form  a  scheme 

Of  universal  evil,  or  eternal  ?"— Bailey. 


KEASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  199 


OBJECTION. 

'What  shall  we  say,  then  1  Sliall  we  continue  in  sin  that  Grace  may 
alioiind  1 — Shall  we  sin  because  we  are  not  under  law,  but  under 
Grace  V— Rom.  vi.  1,  15. 

ANSWER. 

'We  be  slanderously  reported,  and  some  [even]  affirm  that 
we  say,  Let  us  do  evil,  that  good  7/iay  come  :  whose  con- 
demnation is  just.' — iii.  8.  'Whereas  we  preach,  warning 
every  man,  and  teaching  every  man  in  all  wisdom,'— Col.  ii. 
28,  'Even  as  our  beloved  brother  Paul  also  hath  written  unto 
you,  according  to  the  wisdom   given  unto  him,'  -2  Pet.  iii. 

15,  'Know  ye  not,  that  to  whomsoever  ye  yield  yourt-elves 
servants  to  obey,  his  servavts  ye  are  whom  ye  do  obey  ? — 
whether  of  Sin,  unto  Deaths  or  of  Obedience,  unto  Right- 
eous7iess? — When  ye  were  servants  of  Sin,  ye  were  free 
from  Righteousness.  What  [good]  fruit  had  ye  then,  in 
those  things  whereof  ye  are  now  ashamed  ?  for  the  end 
[effect]  thereof  was  death.  But  now,  being  made  free  from 
Sin,  and  become  servants  of  God,  ye  haze  your  fruit  unto 
holiness,  and  the  end  thereof,  everlasting  life.  [For,  'he  that 
believelh  on  Him,  hath  everlasting  life, — is  parsed  from 
death  unto  life, — receives  the  end  of  his  faith,  even  the 
salvation  of  his  soul.' — John  iii.  36,  v.  24,  1  Pet.  i.  9.]  — 
But,  the  wages  [pay]  of  Sin,  is  leath  ;  but  the  gift  of  God 
is  eternal  life,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.' — Rom.    vi. 

16,  21--23. 

'Aftirming  constantly  also,  that  they  which  believe  in  [the 
impartial  goodness  of]  God,  ought  to  be  careful  to  maintain 
good  works  ;  for  these  things,  [and  these  only,}  are  good 
and  profitable  unto  men.' — Titus  iii.  8  ;  that  'the  Grace 
of  God  that  bringeth  Salvation  to  All  Men  which  hath  ap- 
peared, teacheth  us  to  live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly 
in  this  present  world.'— ii.  11  ;  that  'we  ought  to  love  God, 
[not  in  fear  of  His  'terrors,'  and  in  order  to  pacify  Him,  and 
gain  His  favor  and  reward,  but]  because  He  first  loved  us. ^ — 
1  John  iv.  19  ;  that  'having  such  great  and  precious  Prom- 
ises, we  should  cleanse  ourselves  from  all  filthiness  of  the 
flesh,  perfecting  holiness  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,' — 2  Cor.  vii. 
1;  that  we  should  'increase  and  abound  in  love  toward  one 


200  REASONS  FOU  OUR  HOPE. 

another  and  towards  All  Men,'  because  God  is  a  'Father,' — 
1  Thess.  iii.  12,  13  ;  that  'IN  keeping  the  Commandments 
there  is  great  reward,' — Ps.  xix.  11. 

'I  have  been  young',  (said  David,)  and  now  am  old  ;  yet 
have  I  not  seen  the  righteous  forsaken,  or  his  seed  begging 
bread.'— Ps.  xxxvii.  25.  But,  'it  loitheretk,  the  paths  o( 
all  that  forget  God.' — Job  vii.  28. 

"My  times  are  in  Thy  hand  !  most  precious  thought  ! 
This  will  I  wear  as  Memory's  briiihtest  gem  : 
All  things  are  Thine,  and  workin^i  for  my  good  ; 
Nor  would  I  wish  to  alter,  if  I  could, 
One  cloud,  one  sunbeam  of  my  earthly  day." — Hemans. 


PROPOSITION  THIRTY-FIFTH. 

Lniversal    Redemption   is    the    Result  of    Infinite 
GOODNESS. 

EVIDENCES. 

'The  Lord  is  Good.' — Ezra  iii.  11  ;    Nahum  i.  7,  &c. 
His  Goodness  is  Great. 

'They  delighted  themselves  in  Thy  Great  Goodness.' — 
Neh.  ix.  25.  'Oh,  how  Great  is  Thy  Goodness.' — Ps.  xxi. 
19.  'They  shall  abundantly  utter  the  memory  of  Thy 
Great  Goodness,  and  shall  sing  of  Thy  Righteousness.' — 
Ps.  cxlv.  7.  'I  will  mention  the  loving-kindnesses  of  the 
Lord,  and  the  praises  of  the  Lord,  accordinaf  to  all  that  the 
Lord  hath  bestowed  on  us,  and  the  Great  Goodness  toward 
the  house  of  Israel  which  He  hath  bestowed  on  them,  ac- 
cording to  His  Mercies,  according  to  the  multitude  of  His 
lovino--kindnesses.  For  He  said,  Surely  they  are  My  Peo- 
ple, children ;  children  that  will  err  no  more  :  so  He  was 
their  Saviour.' — Isa.  Ixiii.  7,  8.  'How  Great  is  His  Good- 
ness !  how  great  His  beauty  !' — Zech.  ix.  17. 

ABUNDANT. 

'The  Lord  God,  Merciful  and  Gracious,  Long-suffering, 
and  Abundant  in  Goodness  and  Truth,  keeping  Mercy  for 
thousands,  Forgiving  iniquity,'  &c. — Ex.  xxxiv.  6. 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  201 

PROLIFIC. 

'Thou  crownest  the  year  with  Thy  Goodness,  and  Thy 
paths  drop  fatness.  They  drop  upon  the  pastures  of  the 
Wilderness,  and  the  little  hills  rejoice  on  every  side.  The 
pastures  are  clothed  with  flocks;  the  valleys  also  are  cover- 
ed, over  with  corn  ;  they  shout  for  joy,  and  sing.' — Ps.  Ixv. 
11—13.  'Thou  openest  Thy  hand,  and  they  are  Jilled  w'ith 
Good.' — Ps.  civ.  28.  'The  Earth  is  Jnll  of  the  Goodness 
of  the  Lord.' — Ps.  xxxiii.  5.  'Despiscst  thou  the  Riches  of 
His  Goodness,  and  Forbearance,  and  Long-suffering?' — 
Rom.  ii.  4.  Beneficent  Deity  !  how  long  will  the  people  of 
Christendom  continue  to  iiniit  and  undervalue  the  inex- 
haustible treasures  of  Thy  Goodness! 

'•  'Tis  thus,  that  by  creating  to  and  from 
Eternity,  and  rnultrplying  ever 
His  own  One  Being  through  the  Universe, 
He  doth  eternize  happiness,  and  make 
Good  infinite,    by  making  All  in  Hirn. 
There  is  but  one  great  Riglit  and  Good, —  and  III 
And  Wrong  are  but  the  shades,  not  substances. 
JVotking  can  be  Anlagonisl  to  God.^' — Festus. 

PARENTAL. 

'If  a  son  shall  ask  bread,  of  any  one  of  you  that  is  a  father, 
will  he  give  him  a  stone  ?  or  if  he  ask  a  fish,  will  he  for  a 
fish  give  him  a  serpent  ?  or  if  he  shall  ask  an  egg,  will  he 
ofTer  him  a  scorpion  V — Luke  xi.  11, 12.  'If  ye,  then,  being 
evil,  know  how  to  give  Good  gifts  unto  youi-  children,  koto 
muck  more  shall  your  Father  which  is  in  Heaven,  give 
Good  gifts  to  them  that  ask  Him  ?' — Mat.  vii.  11.  'Your 
Heavenly  Father  knoweth  that  ye  have  need  of  all  these 
things,'  (food,  and  raiment,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,) — Mat  vi. 
32,  'even  before  ye  ask  Him.' — verse  8. 

IMPARTIAL    AND    UNIVERSAL. 

'The  Lord  is  Good  unto  All,  and  His  tender  mercies 
are  over  All  His  Works.' — Ps.  cxlv.  9.  'He  giveth  to 
All,  life,  breath,  and  all  things,' — Acts  xvii.  25.  'He  giv- 
eth to  All  Men,  liberally.' — James  i.  5.  'He  causeth  His 
sun  to  rise  upon  the  Evil  and  upon  the  Good,  and  sendeth 
His  rain  upon  the  Just  and  upon  the  Unjust.' — Mat.  v.  45. 
'Love  ye  your  Enemies,  and  do  Good,  -  -  and  ye   shall  be 


202  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

the  children  of  the  Highest ;  for  He  is  Kind  to  the  Unthank- 
ful and  the  Evil.' — Luke  v.  35.  'The  profit  of  the  earth  i» 
for  All.' — Eccl.  v.  9. 

UNENDING. 

'The  Goodness  of  the  Loril  endureth  Continually.'-  -Fs. 
lii.  1.  'Surely,  Goodness  and  Mercy  shall  follow  me  all  the 
days  of  my  life,  and  I  will  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord 
forever.' — Ps.  xxiii.  6. 

UN.MIXED    AND    UNCHANGEABLE. 

•Out  of  the  month  of  the  Most  High  proceedeth  not  Evil 
and  Good.' — L:im.  iii.  3S.  'Doth  a  fountain  send  forth  at 
the  sinii  placj  swicl  w.iter  and  bitter?  Can  the  (ij,^-lree 
bear  olive-berries?  or  a  lounlain  yield  both  salt  water  and 
fresh  ?'—Jas,  iii.  11,  12.  'Even  so,  every  Good  Tree  brino;- 
eth  forth  Good  fruit ;  -  -  a  GooJ  tree  cannot  bring  forth  Evil 
fruit.— Mat.  vii.  18.  'This,  then,  is  the  message  which  we 
have  heard  of  Him,  -.ind  declare  unto  you,  that  God  is  Light, 
ani  in  Htm  is  ?io  Darkness  at  all.'' — Jas.  i.  5.  'I  am  th»? 
Lord,  /  Change  not.'— Mai.  iii.  10. 

SUPREME. 

'Why  callest  thou  me  Good  ?  There  is  7wne  Good,  but 
One,  that  is  God.'— Mat.  xix.  17;  Luke  xviii.  19. 

CONSTITUTKS    HIS    GLORY. 

'And  Moses  said,  I  beseech  Thee  show  me  Thy  Glor7j. 
And  the  Lord  said,  I  will  make  all  My  Goodness  to  pass 
before  thee,  and  I  will  proclaim  the  name  of  the  Lord  liefore 
thee;  and  I  will  be  Gracious  to -whom  /7(!^Z/ be  Gracious,' — 
[even  'unto  All,'  for  'is  it  not  lawful  for  Me  to  do  what  J 
luill  with  Mine  own  ?  is  thine  eye  evil  because  I  am  Good  .?'] 
— Exod.  XXX iii.  IS,  19. 

PRODUCTIVE    OF    CONTRITION. 

They  despise  the  Riohes  of  His  Goodness,  'not  knowing 
that^/te  Goodness  of  Godleadeththee  to  Repentance.'— Worn. 
ii.  4.  'It  shall  be  to  me  a  name  of  Joy,  a  Praise,  aid  an 
Honor,  before  All  the  Nations  of  the  Earth,  which  shal;  hear 
all  the  Good  that  I  do  unto  them  ;  and  they  shall  fear  and 
tremble  for  all  the  Goodness,  and  all  the  Prosperity  that  I 
procure  unto   if.'— Jer.  xxxiii.  9.      'Therefore   shall   thej: 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  203 

come  and  sing  in  the  height  of  Zion,  and  shall  flow  together 

to  THE  Goodness    of  the  Lord; and  their  souls  shall  be 

as  a  watered  garden  ;  and  ihey  shall  not  sorrow  any  more 
at  all.'— Jer.  xxxi.  12.  'They  shall  fear  the  Lord,  and  His 
Goodiicss,  in  the  Latter  Days.' — Hos.  iii,  5. 


CONCLUSION. 

'My  People  shall  be  satisfied  with  My  Goodness,  saith 
the  Lord.'— Jer.  xxxi.  14. 

'Good  and  Upright  is  ihe  Lord ;  therefore,  He  will 
teach  Sinners  in  the  jcay. '—Fs.  xxv.  8. 

'0,  taste  and  see  that  ihe  Lord  is  Good  ;  blessed  is  the 
man  that  trusteth  in  Him.'— Ps.  xxxiv.  8. 

'0  that  Men  would  Praise  the  Lord  for  His  Goodness, 
and  for  His  vvonderiul  works  to  the  Children  of  Men  !  For 
He  satisfieth  the  longing  soul,  and  ^illeth  the  hungry  soul 
with  Goodness.  Such  as  sit  in  darkness,  and  in  the  shadow 
of  death,  being  bound  in  affliction  and  iron.  Because  they 
rebelled  against  the  words  of  God,  and  contemned  the  coun- 
sel of  the  Most  High,  therefore  He  brought  down  their  heart 
with  la\)or ;  they  fell  down,  and  there  was  none  to  help. 
Then  thfcy  cried  unio  the  Lord  in  their  trcuble,  and  He 
Saved  them  out  of  their  distresses.  He  brought  them 
out  of  Darkness,  and  the  shadow  of  death,  and  break  their 
bands  in  sunder.— 0,  that  Men  would  Praise  the  Lord  for 
His  Gooilness,  and  for  His  wonderful  works  to  the  children 
of  men  !'— Ps.  cviuh. 

'Praise  Ye  the  Lord  !  O,  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord,  for 
He  is  Good  :  for  His  Mercy  enuureth  Forever.'— Ps.  cvi.  1. 

"0,  let  thy  soul 
Reinember,  what  tli«  Will  of  Heav'n  ordains, 
I.H  ever  Good  for  Ail  ;  and  if  for  All, 
Then  good  for  thee."  *  »  * 

*  *  *         "Behold  the  ways 

Of  Heaven's  eternal  destiny  to  Man, — 
Forever  just,  benevolent,  and  kind  !" — Akenside. 


204  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 


PROPOSITION  THIRTY-SIXTH. 

Universal  Happiness  is  the  Ultimate  Effect  of  ike  Infinite 
MERCY. 

EVIDENCES. 

'The  Lord  is  Merciful.'-— Jonah  iv.  2  ;  Joel  ii.  15,  &c. 

His  Mercy  is  Great. 
'Lot  us  fall  now  into  the  hands  of  the  Lord  ;  for  His  Mer- 
cy is  very  Great  ;  but  let  me  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  man.* 
— 1  Chron.  xxi.  13  ;  2  Sam.  xxiv.  14.  'And  Moses  prayed 
unto  the  Lord,  -  -  Pardon,  I  beseech  Thee,  the  iniquity  of 
this  People,  according  to  the  Greatness  of  Thy  Mercy.' — 
Numb.  xiv.  19.  'For  a  small  moment  have  I  forsaken  thee, 
but  with  Great  Mercies  will  I  gather  thee.  In  a  little  wrath 
I  hid  My  face  from  thee  for  a  moment ;  but  with  everlasting 
Kindness  will  I  have  Mercy  upon  thee,  saith  the  Lord,  thy 
Redeemer.' — Isa.  liv.  7,  8.  'We  do  not  present  our  suppli- 
cations before  Thee  for  our  own  righteousness,  but  for  Thy 
Great  Mercies.'— Dan.  ix.  48.  'Thy  Mercy  is  Great,  unto 
the  heavens,  and  Thy  Truth  unto  the  clouds-' — Ps.  Ivii.  10. 

MULTITUDINOUS. 

'Nevertheless,  He  regarded  their  affliction  when  He  heard 
their  cry,  and  He  remembered  for  them  His  Covenant,  ac- 
cording to  the  Multitude  of  His  Mercies.'— Ts.  cvi.  45.  '0 
God,  in  the  Multitude  of  Thy  Mercies,  hear  me,  in  the 
truth  of  Thy  Salvation.'— Ps.  "ixix.  13.  'Though  He  cause 
grief,  yet  will  He  have  Compassion,  according  to  the  Multi- 
tude of  His  Mercies.'—Ldim.  iii.  32.  'They  remembered 
not  the  Multitude  of  Thy  Mercies,  but  even  provoked  Him  ; 
nevertheless,  He  saved  them  for  His  name's  sake,  that  He 
might  make  His  Mighty  Power  to  be  known.'— Ps.  cvi.  7,  8. 
'As  for  me,  I  will  come"  into  Thy  house  in  the  Multitude  of 
Thy  Mercy.'— Ps.  v.  7. 

PLENTEOUS. 

'The  Lord  is  Merciful  and  Gracious,  slow  to  anger,  and 
Plenteous  in  Mercy.  He  will  not  always  chide,  neither 
vill  He  Keep  anger  Forever.'— Ps.  ciii.  8.     'Thou,  Lord, 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  205 

art  Good,  and  ready  to  forgive,  and  Plenteous  in  Mercy  to 
all  tliem  that  call  upon  Thee.' — Ps.  Ixxxvi.  5.  'With  the 
Lord  there  is  Merc7j,  and  with  Him  there  is  Plenteous 
Redemption.' — cxxx.  7. 

RICH    AND    MANIFOLD. 

'God,  who  is  Rich  in  Mercy.' — Eph.  ii.  4.  'They  had 
wrought  great  provocations,  yet  Thou,  in  Thy  Manifold 
Mercies,  f'orsookest  them  not  in  the  Wilderness.' — Neh.  ix. 
19.  'According  to  Thy  Manifold  Mercy,  Thou  savedst 
them.' — 27.  'Minister  thy  gifts  one  to  another,  as  good 
stewards  of  the  Ma?iifold  Grace  [Mercy]  of  God.' — 1  Pet. 
iv.  10.  'The  Exceeding  Riches  of  His  Grace,  [Mercy,]  in 
His  Kindness  toward  us,  through  Jesus  Christ.' — Eph.  ii.  7. 

FULL,    ABUNDANT.    UNIVERSAL. 

'The  earth,  0  Lord,  is  Full  of  Thy  Mercy.' — Ps.  cxix.  64. 
'According  to  His  Abundant  Mercy,  He  hath  begotten  Us 
unto  a  lively  Hope.' — 1  Pet.  i.  3.  'The  wisdom  that  is  from 
above  is  Full  of  Mercy.' — .Tas.  iii.  17.  'According  to  His 
Mercy  He  saved  us,  which  He  shed  on  us  Abundaiithj, 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour.' — Titus  iii.  6.  'Let  him 
return  unto  the  Lord,  and  He  will  have  Mercy  upon  him  ; 
anil  to  our  God,  for  He  will  Abundantly  Pardon.' — Is.  Iv.  7. 
'The  Grace  [Mercy]  of  our  Lord  was  exceeding  Abundant.' 
1  Tim.  i.  14.  'His  tender  Mercies  are  over  j^Z/Hzi'  Works.' 
— Ps.  cxlv.  9.  'That  He  might  have  Mercy  upon  AW — 
Rom.  xi.  32.  'The  Grace  [MercTj]  of  God  bringelh  Salva- 
tion to  All  Men.' — Titus  ii.  11. 

LOFTY. 

'Thy  Mercy  is  great  unto  the  Heavens,  and  Thy  Faith- 
fulness reacheth  unto  the  clouds.' — Ps.  xxxvi.  5;  cviii.  4. 

GOOD    AND    SURE. 

'Because  Thy  Mercy  is  Good,  deliver  Thou  me.' — Ps. 
cix.  21.  .  'I  will  make  an  Everlasting  Covenant  with  thee, 
even  the  Sure  Mercies  of  [Messias,  the  seed  of]  David.'— 
Isa.  Iv.  3;  Acts  xiii.  34. 

TENDER. 

'The  Lord  is  very  Pitiful,  and  of  Tender  Mercy.^— 3ns.  v. 
11.     '0  Lord,  Thy  loving-kindness  is  good;  turn  unto  me 

M 


206  RKASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

according  to  the  Multitude  of  Thy  Tender  Mercies.''— Vs. 
Ixix.  16.  'Wilhliold  not  Thou  Thy  tender  mercies  from  ine, 
0  Lord  ;  let  Thy  loving-kindnesses  and  Thy  truth  continu- 
ally preserve  me.'— .\1.  ll.  'Will  the  Lord  cast  off  forever  ? 
and  will  He  be  favorable  no  more?  Is  His  Mercy  clean 
gone  forever  ?  or  hath  he  in  anger  shut  up  His  tender  Mer- 
cies? And  I  said,  This  is  my  infirmity  !'—lxxvii.  7-10. 
'Great  are  Thy  Tender  Mercies,  O  Lord.'— cxix.  456.  'Let 
Thy  tender  mercies  come  unto  me  that  I  may  live.' — 77. 
'Let  Thy  tender  mercies  speedily  prevent  [quicken]  us,  for 
we  are  brought  very  low.  Help  us,  O  God  of  our  Salva- 
tion, for  the  Glory  of  Thy  name,  and  deliver  us,  and  Purge 
away  our  sins  for  Thy  name's  sake  ;  wherefore  should  the 
heathen  say.  Where  is  their  God?'— Ixxix.  8-10.  'Bless 
the  Lord,  0  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  His  benefits :  who 
Forgivelh  all  thine  iniquities,  who  Healeth  all  thy  diseases, 
who  redeemeth  thy  life  from  destruction,  who  crowneth  thee 
with  loving-kindness  and  Tender  Mercies.'— cm.  2—4. 

ETERNAL. 

'Thy  tender  Mercies,  and  Thy  loving-kindnesses  have 
ever  been  of  Old.''— Ps.  xxv.  6.  'The  Lord  is  Good  ;  His 
Mercy  is  Everlasting  ;  and  His  Truth  endureth  to  All  Gen- 
erations.'— c.  5.  'The  Lord  will  perfect  that  which  con- 
cerneth  me  :  Thy  Mercy,  O  Lord,  endtircth  Forever;  Thou 
forsakest  not  the  works  of  Thine  own  hands.'— cxxxviii.  8. 
'His  Compassions  fail  not. '—ham.  iii.  22.  '0,  give  thanks 
unto  the  Lord,  for  He  is  Good  ;  for  His  Mercy  endureth 
Forever.' — Ps.  cxviii.  L  'The  voice  of  joy,  and  the  voice 
of  gladness;  the  voice  of  the  bridegroom,  and  the  voice  of 
the' bride ;  and  the  voice  of  them  that  shall  say,  Praise  the 
Lord  of  Hosts.  For  the  Lord  is  Good  :  for  His  Mercy  en- 
dureth Forever.'— lev.  xxxiii.  IL  'I  will  sing  of  the  Mer- 
cies of  the  Lord  Forever,  and  make  known  Thy  Faithful- 
ness to  All  Generations;  for  I  have  said,  Mercy  shall  be 
Built  up  Forever ;  Thy  Faithfulness  Thou  shalt  establish 
in  the  heavens.'— Ps.  Ixxxix.  2.  'The  throne  of  God  in  the 
heavens  is  Forever ;'  'in  Mercy  shall  Thy  throne  be  estab- 
lished.'—Lam.  V.  19  ;  Isa.  xvi.  5.  'And  they  sung  together 
by  course,  praising  and  giving  thanks  unto  the  Lord  ;  be- 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  207 

cause  He  is  Good,  for  His  Mercy  endureth  Forever.'— Ezra 
iii.  11.     Also  136th  Psalm,  and  elsewhere. 

REFORMATORY. 

'By  Mercy  and  Truth  Iniquity  is  Purged.' — Prov.  xvi.  6. 

CONCLUSION. 

'He  shall  deliver  the  Neerhj  when  he  crieth  ;  the  poor  also, 
and  him  that  hath  no  helper.  He  shall  spare  the  Poor  and 
Needy,  and  shall  save  the  souls  o^the  Needy  ;  He  shall  Re- 
deem their  soul  from  deceit  and  violence,  and  precious  shall 
be  their  blood  in  His  sight.'— -Ps.  Ixxii.  12--14. 

'Sing,  0  heavens,  and  be  joyful,  0  earth,  and  break  forth 
into  singing,  O  mountains  !  for  the  Lord  hath  comforted  His 
People,  and  will  have  Mercy  on  His  afflicted.' — Isa.  xlix,  13, 

'I  will  have  Mercy  upon  those  that  had  not  obtained  Mer- 
cy.'—Hos.  ii.  22,  &c. 

'Then  said  the  Lord  unto  Jonah,  Thou  hast  had  pity  on 
the  gourd,  for  which  thou  hast  ?io;  labored,  neither  mad'st  it 
grow,  Avhich  come  up  in  a  night,  and  perished  in  a  night: 
And  should  not  I  have  Mercy  upon  Ninevah,  that  great  city, 
wherein  are  more  than  six-score  thousand  persons,  that  can- 
not discern  between  their  right  hand  and  their  left,  and  also 
much  cattle  ?'— Jonah  iv.  10,  11. 

'I  will  have  Mercy,  and  not  Sacrifice.' — Mat.  ix.  13;  Hos. 
vi.  6.     'I  came  not  to  Destroy,  but  to  Save.' 

'I  trust  in  the  Mercy  of  God  forever  and  ever.  I  will 
praise  Thee  forever  because  thou  hast  done  it.' — Ps.  Hi.  8. 
'I  have  trusted  in  Thy  Mercy;  my  heart  shall  rejoice  in 
Thy  Salvation.'— Ps.  xiii.  8. 

'The  Lord  talceth  pleasure  in  them  that  fear  Him,  in  those 
that  Hope  in  His  Mercy.' — Ps.  cxlvii.  11.  'Behold,  the 
eye  of  the  Lord  is  upon  them  that  Hope  in  His  Mercy.' — 
Ps.  xxxiii.  18. 

'He  retaineth  not  His  anger  forever,  because  He  delight- 
ETH  IN  Mercy.' — Micah  vii.  18.  'I  am  the  Lord,  which 
exerciseth  judgment,  loving-kindness,  and  righteousness,  for 
in  these  things  /Delight,  saith  the  Lord.' — Jer.  ix.  24.  Is 
it  reasonable,  now,  to  believe  that  the  Lord  will  forever  de- 
prive   Himself  of  the   exercise  of  that  which  affords  Him 


208  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

Delight  ?  Yet  such  is  the  doctrine  of  that  faith  which 
teaches  that  all  the  achievements  and  efForts  of  Divine  Mer- 
cy, are  limited  lo  this  weak,  hand-breadlh  existence. 

'Let  Israel  Hope  in  the  Lord  ;  for  with  the  Lord  there  is 
Mercy,  and  with  Him  there  is  Plknteous  Rkdebiption.  And 
He  shall  Redeem  Israel  from  all  his  iniquities.'— cxxx.  7,  8. 
'He  hath  concluded  All  in  Unbelief,  that  He  might  have 
Meraj  upon  All.'— Rom.  xi.  32.  'That  as  Sin  hath  reigned 
unto  death,  even  so  might  Grace  [Mercy]  reign,  through 
righteousness,  unto  eternal  life,  by  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.' 
—Rom.  v.  2L 

"Art  tliou  sui'e. 

That  Mercy,  which  forever  must  endure, 

Extends  no  longer  (o  the  sons  of  men, 

Than  ihe  short  life  of  threescore  years  and  len  ? 

Is  such  God's  Hivor  towards  His  creature  man  ? 

His  wrath  eternal,  and  His  love  a  span  ?" 


PROPOSITION  THIRTY-SEVENTH. 

Jjniversal  Holiness  is  the  Work  of  the  Infinite  JUSTICE. 

EVIDENCES. 

Ye  who  turn  Jijdgmknt  to  wormwood  :iiid  gall,  and  the  fruit  of  Ricirr- 
eousiiess  into  Sittcrnens. — Amos  v.  7;   vi.  12. 

'God  is  Just,' — Deut.  xxxii.  4  ;  'Righteous,' — Rev.  xvi. 
4;  'Equitable.' — Ps.  xcviii.  9.  'A  Just  weight  and  bal- 
ance are  the  Lord's.' — Prov.  xvi.  4.  'A  false  Balance  is  an 
aboinination  to  the  Lord  ;  but  a  Jtist  balance  is  His  de- 
light.'— xi.  11. 

'Shall  mortal  man  be  more  just  than  God  ?  shall  a  man  be 
?no?-e  pure  than  his  Maker?' — Job  iv.  17.  'Shall  not  the 
Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right?' — Gen.  xviii.  25.  'Will 
the  Lord  cast  off  forever  ?'  'Will  He  reserve  anger  forever  V 
'Wilt  Thou  forsake  the  work  of  Thine  own  hands  ?' 

'Far  be  it  from  God  that  He  should  do  wickedly;  from 
the  Almighty  that  He  should  commit  iniquity.  Yea,  surely, 
God  will  not  do  wickedly,  neither  will  the  Almighty  per- 
vert judgment.'' — Job  xxxiv.  10--12.  'He  Avill  not  lay  upon 
man   more  than  right,  that  he  should  enter   into  judgment 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  209 

with  Him.' — verse  23.  'Thie  Lord  will  not  cast  off  forever.' 
*He  will  not  keep  anger  forever.'  'Yea,  a  woman  may  for- 
get to  have  compassion  upon  the  son  of  her  womb,  but  I 
will  not  forget  thee.'  'I  will  nex^er  leave  thee  nor  forsake 
thee.' 

'To  turn  aside  the  Right  of  a  man  from  before  the  face 
of  the  Most  High,  to  subvert  a  man  in  his  cause,  the  Lord 
approveth  not.' — Lam.  iii.  36.  'The  Almighty  is  excellent 
in  Judgment,  and  in  'plenty  of  Justice  ;  He  will  not  [cruelly] 
afflict.' — Job  xxxvii.  23.  'He  will  do  Justice  to  the  Afflicted 
and  Needy.' — Ps.  Ixxxvi.  3. 

'If  thou  seest  the  oppressor  of  the  Poor,  and  the  violent 
perverting  of  judgment  and  Justice,  [among  men,'\  marvel 
not ;  but  He  that  is  Higher  than  the  Highest  regardcth.' — 
Ec.  V.  a 

"A  worm  hath  ricrhts, 
A  kintj  cannot  despoil  him  of,  nor  anuht  ; 
Yet  wroiiHS  are  lliin<;s  neccfsitale,  like  wants, 
And  oft  are  well  permitled  to  best  ends. 
A  double  error  sometimes  sets  us  right." — Festus. 

His  Judgments  are  True,  Righteous,  Right,  Upright. 

'He  hath  prepared  His  throne  for  Judgment,  and  He  shall 
Judge  the  World  hi  Righteousness  ;  He  shall  ininister  Judg- 
ment to  the  People  in  Uprightness.  The  Lord  will  be  a 
Refuge  for  the  Oppressed,  a  Refuse  in  times  of  trouble.' — 
Ps.  ix.  7-9. 

'The  Judgments  of  the  Lord  are  Tj-jie,  and  Righteous  al- 
together. More  to  be  desired  are  they  than  gold,  yea,  than 
much  fine  gold.  Sweeter,  also,  than  honey  or  the  honey- 
comb. Moreover,  by  them  is  thy  servant  warned,'  [restrain- 
ed.]—Ps.  xix.  9-11. 

'0,  worship  the  Lord  in  the  beauty  of  holiness!  fear  be- 
fore Him,  All  the  Earth.  Say  among  the  Heathen.,  The 
Lord  reigneth  !  The  World  also  shall  be  established  that 
it  shall  not  be  moved.  He  shall  Judge  the  People  Righ- 
teously. Let  the  heavens  Rejoice,  and  let  the  earth  be  glad, 
let  the  sea  roar,  and  the  fulness  thereof.  Let  the  field  be 
joyful,  and  all  that  is  therein  ;  then  shall  all  the  trees  of  the 


210  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE, 

wood  rejoice  before  the  Lord.  For  He  cometh,  for  He  com- 
eth  to  Judge  the  Earth  ;  He  shall  Judge  the  world  with 
righteousness,  and  The  People  with  His  truth.' — Ps.  xcvi. 
9--13. 

'Lord  God  Almighty,  true  and  righteous  are  Thy  Judg- 
ments.'— Rev.  xvi.  7. 

'I  shall  praise  Thee  when  I  shall  have  learned  Thy  righ- 
teous Judgments.' — Ps.  cxix.  7,  62.  'I  know,  O  Lord,  that 
Thy  Judgments  are  Right,  that  Thou  in  faithjulness  hast 
afflicted  me.' — verse  75.  'Righteous  art  Thou,  O  Lord, 
and  Ujjright  are  Thy  Judgments.' — verse  137. 

His  Justice  is  Merciful,  and  leads  to  Forgiveness. 

'Unto  thee,  O  Lord,  belongest  Mercy,  for  Thou  rcndercst 
to  every  man  according  to  his  work.' — Ps.  Ixii.  12. 

'The  Lord  God  is  Merciful  and  Gracious,  long-suffering, 
and  abundant  in  Goodness  and  Truth,  keeping  Mercy  for 
thousands,  Forgiving  iniquity,  transgression,  and  sin,  and 
that  will  EY  NO  means   clear  the  Guilty.' — Ex.  xxxiv.  6,  7. 

'Thou  wast  a  God  that  Forgavest  them,  though  Thou 
tookesl  Vengeance  of  their  inventions.' — Ps.  xcix.  8. 

'Comfort  ye,  comfort  ye  My  people,  saith  your  God. — 
Speak  ye  comfortably  to  Jerusalem,  and  cry  unto  her,  that 
her  warfare  is  accomplished,  her  iniquity  is  Pardoned:  for 
she  hath  received  of  the  Lord's  hand  double  for  all  her  sins.' 
— Isa.  xl.  1,  2. 

'I  will  recompense  their  iniquity  and  their  sin,  doiille.— 
Therefore,  behold,  I  will  cause  them  to  Know,  I  tvill  cause 
them  to  Knoio  My  hand  and  my  might,  and  they  shall  know 
that  My  name  is  The  Lord.' — Jer.  xvi.  18,  21. 

'God  shall  bring  every  work  into  Judgment,  with  cA-ery 
secret  thing.' — Ec.  xii.  14.  Yet  the  Promise  is,  'I  will 
Cleanse  them  from  all  their  iniquity,  whereby  they  have 
sinned  against  me ;  and  I  will  Pardon  all  their  iniquities, 
whereby  they  have  sinned,  and  whereby  they  have  trans- 
gressed against  me.' — Jer.  xxxiii.  8. 

^ Siijficioit  to  him  is  this  Punishment,  so  that  ye  ought 
contrariwise  to  Forgive  him.'' — 2  Cor.  ii.  7. 

'The  Lord  is  of    Great  Mercy,   Forgiving  iniquity  and 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 


211 


transgression,  but  by  no  means  clearing  the   guilty.' — 
Numb.  xiv.  IS. 

'A  Just  God,  AND  a  Savioicr.'—Isa..  xlv.  21.  'He  is 
Just,  to  Forgive  our  si/is.' — 1  John  i.  9.  'A  Just  God,' 
and  yet  'the  Justifier  of  the  ungodly.^ — Rom.  iv.  5,  Gal.  iii- 
8,  &c. 

"When  Time  and  Death  o'ercome  the  ills  of  man. 
Shall  God,  who  is  all  Love,  reverse,  reserve, 
In  cruel  fires,  ages  hence,  those  crimes? 
^And  crown  the  acme  of  all  ill  with  vvoea 
Unending,  for  an  instantaneous  wrong  ? 
Shall  that  be  Justice  ?     Il  were  more  than  Vengeance  '. 
Yet  such  the    Deity  men  fable,  such 
The  Hell  whereto  they  damn  themselves." — Festxjs. 

His  Justice  is  an  Attribute  of  Salvation. 

'Justice  and  Judgment  are  the  habitation  of  Thy  throne. 
(For)  Mercy  ancl  Truth  shall  go  before  Thy  face.  Blessed 
is  the  People  that  know  the  joyful  sound  ;  they  shall  walk, 
O  Lord,  in  the  light  of  Thy  countenance.' — Ps.  Ixxxix.  14. 

'When  Thy  Judgments  are  in  the  earth,  the  inhabitants 
of  the  world  toill  learn  Righteousness.  Let  favour  be  shown 
to  the  wicked,  will  he  not  learn  righteousness  ?  In  the 
land  of  y/^r/o-A^/icss  will  he  deal  unjustly  ?  for  will  he  not 
behold  the  majesty  of  the  Lord  ?  Lord,  when  Thy  hand  is 
lifted  up,  loill  they  not  see  ?  They  shall  see,  and  be  asham- 
ed for  their  malice  toward  the  people  ;  yea,  the  fire  of  Thine 
enemies  shall  devour  [melt,  renovate,]  them.  Lord,  Thou 
wilt  ordain  Peace  for  us,  because  Thou  hast  also  wrought 
all  our  works  in  us.' — Isa.  xxvi.  9-12. 

'■Judgment  will  I  lay  to  the  line,  and  Jiighteousness  to  the 
plummet,  and  the  hail  shall  sivecp  away  the  refuge  of  lies, 
and  the  waters  [of  purification]  shall  overflow  the  hiding- 
places.  And  your  covenant  with  death  shall  be  disannadled^ 
and  your  acfreement  with  hell  shall  not  stand.^ — Isa.  xxviii. 
17,  18. 

'Zion  shall  be  Redeemed  loith  Judgment,  and  her  con- 
verts with  Righteousness.' — Isa.  i.  27. 

'Rejoice  greatly,  0  daughter  of  Zion  ;  shout,  O  daughter 


Sl^  REASONS    FOR    OUR  HOPE. 

of  Jerusalem  !     Behold,  thy  King-  cometh  unto  thee  ;  He  is 
Just,  and  having  Salvation.^ — Zech.  ix.  9. 

'The  Lord  shtrU  have  washed  away  the  filth  of  the  daugh- 
ter of  Zion,  and  shall  have  Purged  the  filth  of  the  blood  of 
Jerusalem,  by  the  spirit  of  Judgment,  and  the  spirit  of  burn- 
ing.'— Isa.  iv.  4. 

'It  is  not  in  inan  that  walkcth  to  direct  his  steps.  O 
Lord,  correct  me,  bnt  ivith  judgment,  not  in  anger,  [not  vm- 
dictively,]  lest  Thou  bring  me  to  nothing.' — Jer.  x.   2^  24. 

The  Jews  themselves  shall  overcome  when  the^  are 
Judged.' — Rom.  iii.  4.  'When  we  are  judged,  we  are  chas- 
tened of  the  Lord.' — 1  Cor.  xi.  32. 

'Therefore  I  will  Judge  you,  O  house  of  Israel,  everyone 
according  to  his  ways  saith  the  Lord  God,  -  -  and  make  you 
a  new  heart  and  a  nev/  spirit.' — Ezek.  xviii.  30,  3L 

'He  shall  Judge  Thy  people  with  righteousness,  and  Thy 
Poor  with  judoment;  the  mountains  shall  bring  Peace  to 
the  People.'— Ps.  Ixxii.  2,  3. 

'I  have  put  My  Spirit  upon  him,  he  shall  bring  forth 
Judgment  to  the  Gentiles  ; — he  shnll  bring  forth  Judgment 
unto  truth. — To  open  the  blind  eyes,'  &c. — Isa.  xlii.  1,  3. 
'He  shall  send  forth  Judgment  unto  Victory,  and  in  his 
name  shall  the  Gentiles  trust.'— Mat.  xii.  18. 

'Therefore  will  the  Lord  wait,  that  He  may  be  Gracious 
unto  you,  and  therefore  will  He  be  exalted,  because  He  will 
have  Mercy  upon  you.  For  the  Lord  is  a  God  of  Judg- 
ment.'—Isa.  XXX.  18. 

'A  Law  shall  proceed  from  Me,  and  I  will  make  My 
Judgment  to  rest  for  a  light  of  the  People.  My  righteous- 
ness is  near,  My  Salcation  has  gone  forth,  and  Mine  arm 
shall  Judge  the  People.' — Isa.  li.  4,  5. 

'I  have  slain  them  by  the  words  of  My  mouth  ;  and  My 
Judgments  mxe  as  theUght  that  goeth  forth.  For  I  desired 
Mercy,  and  not  Sacrifice.'— Hos.  vi.  5,  6. 

'They  shall  see  the  Glory  of  the  Lord,  and  the  Excellency 
of  our  God.  Strengthen  ye  the  weak  hands,  and  confirm 
the  feeble  knees.  Say  to  them  that  are  of  a  fearful  heart, 
Be  strong,  fear  not!  behold  your  God  will  come  with  Ven- 
geance, even  God  with  a  Recompense:    He  will  come    and 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  213 

Save  You.  Then  the  eyes  o(  \he  blind  shall  be  opened, 
and  the  ears  of  the  c?ea/ shall  be  unstopped.  Then  shall  the 
la7?ie  vian  leap  as  an  hart,  and  the  tongue  of  the  dumb  shall 
sing'.'— Isa.  xxxv.  2-6. 

'My  soul  breaketh,  for  the  longing  it  hath  for  Thy  Judg- 
ments.'— Ps.  cxix.  20.  'Thy  Judgments  are  Good.'' — 39. 
'QMZc^e?i  me  according  to  Thy  Judgments.' — 149.  'Let 
Thy  Judgments  help  me.' — 175. 

MARVELLOUS,    "WISE,    AND  IMMEASURABLE. 

'Thy  Judgments  are  far  above,  out  of  sight.'— Ps.  x.  5. 
•No  man  can  find  out  the  work  that  God  maketh  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end.'— Ec.  iii.  11.  'Yea,  further  ;  though 
a  wise  man  think  to  know  it,  yet  shall  he  not  be  able  to 
find  it.'— viii.  17.  'Can'st  thou  by  searching  find  out  God? 
can'st  thou  find  out  the  Almighty  unto  perfection  1  He  is 
higher  than  Heaven,  what  can'st  thou  do  ?  deeper  than  She- 
ol,  what  can'st  thou  know  ?'— Job  xi.  7,  8. 

'Thy  Righteousness  is  \\Vq  ihe  great  moimtaijis ;  Thy 
Judgments  are  a  great  deep.  0  Lord,  Thou  preserves! 
man  and  beast.  How  excellent  is  Thy  loving-kindness,  0 
God!  therefore  the  children  of  men  put  their  trust  under 
the  shadow  of  Thy  wings.  They  shall  be  abundantly  satis- 
fied with  the  fatness  of  Thy  House  ;  and  Thou  shalt  make 
ihem  drink  of  the  River  of  Thy  pleasure.'— Ps.  xxxvi.  6-8. 

'Our  God  will  abundantly  pardon.  For  My  thoughts  are 
not  your  thoughts,  neither  are  your  [selfish,  evil]  ways,  My 
ways,  saith  the  Lord.  For  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than 
the  earth,  so  are  My  ways  higher  than  your  ways,  and  My 
thoughts  than  your  thoughts.'— Isa.  Iv.  '7--9.  'O  Lord,  how 
Great  are  Thy  works!  Thy  thoughts  are  very  Deep.'— Ps. 
xcii.  5. 

'O  the  depth  of  the  Riches,  both  of  the  Wisdom  and 
Knowledge  of  God  !  how  unsearchable  are  His  Judgments, 
and  His  ways  past  finding  out!  For  who  hath  known  the 
mind  of  the  Lord  ?  or  who  hath  been  His  counsellor?  Or 
who  \\a\h  first  friven  to  Him,  and  it  shall  be  recompensed  to 
him  again?     For  OF  HIM,  and  through  him,  and    TO 

13 


214  EEASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

HIM  are  All  Things,  to  Whom  be  Glory  forever  !'— Rom. 
xi.  33-30., 


CONCLUSION. 
It  is  tliroiigli  the  Justice  unci  JuDGMKNT  of  God  that  the  Redeitiption 
of  Munkind  will  be  Accoiupli.shcd ;  the  Great  Spiritual  Day  of 
Judgment  was  conimcnrcd  at  the  Abrogation  of  the  Mosaic.  Econo- 
my, uiien  the  throne  of  David  yielded  to  the  Kingdom  of  IMossias,— 
who  shall  Ileigr.  and  carry  Forward  the  work  of  Judgmknt,  until 
all  enemies  are  Subdued,  and  God  becomes  All  in  All. 

'And  Jesus  said,  For  Judgment  I  am  come  into  this 
World,  that  they  which  see  not,  might  see.'— John  ix.  39, 
'Now  is  the  Julgment  of  this  World;  noiv  shall  the  Prince 
of  this  word  be  cast  out.  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the 
Earth,  will  draw  All  Men  unto  me.'— xii.  81.  32.  'For 
the  time  is  come  that  Judgment  must  begin  at  the  house  of 
God.'— 1  Pet.  iv.  17. 

'He  hath  appointed  a  Day,  ['beloved,  be  not  ignorant  of 
this  one  thing,  that  one  day  is  with  the  Lord  as  a  thousand 
years,  or  a  thousand  years  ^s  one  day.']  in  which  He  will 
Judge  tlie  World  in  Righteoiisness,  by  that  man  whom  He 
hath  ordained  ;  whereby  He  hath  given  Assurance  [of  re- 
demption] unto  All  Men,  in  that  He  hath  raised  him  from 
the  dead.'— Acts  xvii.  30,  31. 

'The  extortioner  is  at  an  end,  the  spoiler  ccaseth,  the  op- 
pressors are  consumed  out  of  the  land.  And  in  Mercy  shall 
the  Throne  be  established  ;  and  he  shall  sit  upon  it  in  truth 
in  the  tabernacles  of  David,    Judging,  seeking   Judgment, 

AND  HASTING  RIGHTEOUSNESS.' Isa.  Xvi.  4,  5. 

'The  Lord  shall  Judge  the  People  ;  -  -  Oh,  let  the  Wick- 
edness of  the  wicked  come  to  an  end.'' — Ps.  ix.  8,  9. 

'The  Lord  is  our  Judge,  the  Lord  is  our  Lawgiver,  the 
Lord  is  our  King:  He  will  Save  Us.  -  -  And  the  inhabi- 
tants shall  not  say  I  am  sick  ;  the  People  that  dwell  therein 
shall  be  Forgiven  their  Iniquity.'— Isa.  xxxiii.  22,  24. 

'My  Determination  is  to  Gather  the  Nations,  that  I  may 
aGSemble  the  kingdoins,  to  pour  upon  them  Mine  indigna- 
tion, even  all  My  fierce  anger  :  for  All  the  Earth  shall  be 
devoured  with  the  fire  of  My  jealousy .     For  then  will  I  turn 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  213 

to  The  People  a  pure  language,  that  they  may  All  call  upon 
the  Name  of  the  Lord  to  Serve  Him  ivith  one  consent.'— 
Zeph.  iii.  S,  9. 

'Behold,  the  Lord  will  come  with  Fire,  and  with  His 
chariots  like  a  whirlwind,  to  render  His  anger  with  fury, 
and  His  rebuke  with  flames  of  ^Jre.  For  hy  fire  and  by 
sword  will  the  Lord  plead  with  All  Flesh,  and  the  slain  of 
the  Lord  shall  be  many.  -  -  For  I  know  their  w^orks  and 
their  thoughts.  But  it  shall  come  that  I  ivill  Gather  All 
Nations  and  Tongues,  and  they  shall  come  and  see  My 
Glory.'-Isa.  Ixvi.  15-18. 

'Art  Thou  not  from  Everlasting,  my  God,  my  Holy  One? 
We  shall  not  die.  O  Lord,  Tho\i  hast  ordained  them  for 
Judgment  ;  and,  0  Mighty  God,  Thou  hast  established 
them  for  Correction.  Thou  art  of  purer  eyes  than  to  be- 
hold [actual,  eternal]  Evil,  and  can'st  not  look  [with  recon- 
ciliation] upon  Iniquity.' — Hab,  i.  12,  13. 

'Out  of  Zion,  the  perfection  of  beauty,  God  hath  shined. 
Our  God  shall  come,  and  shall  not  keep  silence  :  a  fire  shall 
devour  before  Him,  and  it  shall  he  very  tempestuous  round 
about  Him.  He  shall  call  to  the  heavens  from  above,  and 
to  the  earth,  that  He  may  Judge  His  People.  -  -  I  will  Re- 
prove the  wicked,  and  set  their  evils  in  order  before  their 
eyes.'— Ps.  1.2-4,21, 

'Arise,  O  God,  let  not  man  prevail  ;  let  the  heathen  he 
Judged  in  Thv  sight.'— Ps.  ix.  19. 

'According  to  Thy  Name,  O  God,  so  is  Thy  Prnise  unto 
the  End  of  tlie  Earth.  Thy  right  hand  is  full  of  Eighteous- 
ness.  Let  Zion  Rejoice  and  be  Glad  because  of  Thy  Judg- 
ments.'— Ps.  xlviii.  10,  11. 

'Behold,  the  Lord  cometh  with  ten  thousands  of  his  saints, 
to  execute  Judgment  upon  All,  and  to  convince  all  that  are 
ungodly  among  them  of  all  their  ungodly  deeds,  and  of  all 
the  hard  speeches  which  ungodly  sinners  have  spoken 
against  him.'— Jude  14,  15.  ^'Behold,  he  cometh  with 
clouds  ;  and  Every  Eye  shall  see  him,  and  they  even  which 
pierced  him;  and  All  the  Kindreds  of  the  Earlh  shall  wail, 
[lament,  in  penitence,]  because  of  him. '--Rev.  i.  7.  'The 
righteous  shall  see  it  and  Rejoice,  and   All  Iniquity   shall 


216  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

Stop  her  moiitk.  Whoso  is  wise,  and  will  observe  these 
things,  even  they  shall  undersland  the  loving  kindness  of 
the  Lord.'— Ps.  cvii.  42,  43. 

'God  shallJudge  the  righteous  and  the  wicked;  for  there 
is  a  time  for  every  Purpose  and  for  every  work.'— Ec.  iii. 
17.  And  'for  this  Purpose  was  the  Son  of  God  manifested, 
that  he  might  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil,'  and  'be  the 
Saviour  of  the  World.' 

'We  shall  All  stand  before  the  Judgment  seat  of  Christ. 
For  it  is  written.  As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord,  Every  Knee 
shall  Bow  to  Me,  and  Every  Tongue  shall  confess  to  God.' 
—Rom.  xiv.  10,  11.     See  Isa.  xlv.  24. 

'The  Lord  executeth  Judgment  and  Righteousness  for 
All  that  are  Oppressed.' — Ps.  ciii.  6.  'The  Lord  God,  which 
executeth  Judgment  for  the  Oppressed.' — cxlvi.  7. 

'The  Creation  was  made  subject  to  Vanity  not  willing- 
ly, [without  assent  of  its  own,]  by  reason  of  Him  who  hath 
Subjected  the  same.'  [But  will  the  Lord  justly  redeem  it 
from  the  dominion  and  slavery  ot  Evil,  so  as  to  render  the 
whole  creation  of  mankind  finally,  a  blessing,  and  not  a 
curse?  Let  the  rest  of  this  passage  answer:]  'He  hath 
subjected  the  same  in  [or  with]  hope  :  Because  the  Crea- 
tion shall  aZsr?  be  delivered  from  the  Bondage  of  Corrup- 
tion, into  the  Glorious  Liberty  of  the  Children  of  God.' — 
Rom.  viii.  20,  21. 

'Great  and  Marvellous  are  Thy  works.  Lord  God  Almigh- 
ty !  Just  and  true  are  Thv  ways.  Thou  King-  of  Saints  I 
Who  shall  not  fear  Thee,  0  Lord  and  Glorify  Thy  Name  ? 
For  Thou  only  art  Holy  :  for  All  Nniiom  shall  come  and 
Worship  before  Thee,  for  Thy  Judgments  are  made  man- 
ifest.'— Rev.  XV.  3,  4. 

'The  Great  Redeemer,  and  llm  blest  Elect, 
And  all  the  anijels,  wiih  God's  love  endow'd. 
Assume  their  seats  of  Judgment  ;    (Zion's  hill, 
The  holy  monnlnin,  City  of  our  God 
Within  the  v;ii!,  the  throne,)  and  then  commence 
The  work  of  RpcI;imation.     With  the  love 
That  God  the  Father  hath  to  them  and  All, 
Thev  reitrn  invii^ihle  o'er  all  the  world. 
In  God-like  skill  of  government,  and  bring 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  217 

In  slow  progression  to  the  human  mind 
Tlie  liglit  ofheavenly  truth  and  wisdom  new, 
To  elevate,  perfect,  jind  bless  the  race. 
And  ;is  the  sons  of  earlh  and  time  secede 
III  r]uii;k  succession  from  the.  huniiin  scene, 
JiidiTrnenl  applies  iis  crucihie  of  mercy, 
And  tinislies,  at  length,  its  jjlorious  work  ; 
And  so  with  All,  till  All  shall  be  forgiven.' 


PROPOSITION  THIRTY-EIGHTH. 

Universal  Perfection  is  the  Aim  of  the  Infinite  WISDOM- 

EVIDENCES. 

'God  is  Wise.' — 1  Tim.  i.  17,  &c. 

His  Wisdom  is  Universal  and  Infinite. 

'His  Understanding  is  Infinite.''— Vs.  cxlvii.  5.  'God 
Knowetli  All  Things.''— \  John  iii.  20.  '■All  Things  are 
naked  and  open  unto  the  eyes  of  Him  with  whom  we  have 
todo.'— Heb.  iv.  13.  'There  is  no  searching  of  His  Un- 
derstanding.'— Isa.  xl.  28. 

TJie  Works  of  Divine  Wisdom  are  Manifold,  Glorious, 

AND  Perfect. 
'O  Lord,  how  Manifold  are  Thy  works;  in  Wisdom  hast 
Tho2i  made  them  ^/Z.'— Ps.  civ.  24.  'His  work  is  Perfect. 
— Deut.  xxxii.  4.  'Dost  thou  know  the  balancings  of  the 
clouds,  or  the  wondrous  works  of  Him  which  is  Perfect  in 
Knowledge  V — Job  xxxvii.  16.  God  created  the  light,  and 
the  expanse  of  elements,  and  the  celestial  systems,  and  the 
vegetable,  and  animal  kingdoms,  'and  saw  thiit  they  were 
Good.''  [The  creation  of  a  vast  universe  of  endless  torments 
for  legions  of  demons  and  myriads  of  human  spirits,  the 
inspired  historian  forgot  to  record!]  'And  God  created  man, 
in  His  own  image,  male  and  female.— And  God  saw  every 
thing  that  He  had  made,  and  behold  it  was  Very  Good.'— • 
Gen.  i.  27,  31.  'The  Wisdom  that  is  from  above,  is  first 
Pure,  then  Peaceable,  Gentle,  easy  to  be  entreated,  full  op 
mercy,  and   good  fruits,  and  loithout  Partiality.^ — James 


218  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

iii.  17,  (But  the  wisdom  from  beneath,  is  'Deviush.' — 15.) 
•0,  the  depth  of  the  Ei;hes,  both  of  the  Wisdom  and 
Knowledge  of  God  !' — Rom.  xi.  33. 

The  Wisdom  of  God  is  Dktermin  ATE,  Foroseeiiig  ami  Ordaining  the 
Great  Purpose  and  Result  of  (Creation  from  llie  Beginning,  Appoint- 
ing will)  infallilile  certainly,  all  the  Means,  and  (lie  most  perfect 
Means,  for  its  final  entire  aceoinplishm-al,  and  snfftciently  providing 
for  all  possible  Coniingonuies. 

'I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  else  !  I  am  God,  and  there 
is  none  like  Me  !  Declaring  the  End  from  the  Beginning, 
and  from  Ancient  times,  the  things  that  are  not  yet  done, 
saying,  My  Counsel  shall  stand,  and  I  will  do  All  My  Plea- 
sure !  Calling  a  ravenous  bird  from  the  east,  and  a  man 
from  a  far  country,  (as  means)  that  executeth  My  Counsels. 
Yea,  I  have  spolcen  it,  I  will  also  bring  it  to  pass  !  I  have 
Purposed  \i,  I  will  also  do  it!  [And  here  following  is  De- 
clared this  Ancient  Purpose  :]  Hearken  imto  Me,  ye  stout- 
[stubborn,  perverse,  stony]  hearted,  that  be  Far  from  Righ- 
teousness !  lBnmcr-!>iEA^  My  righteous7iess ;  it  shall  not 
be  far  off ;  and  My  Salvation  shall  not  tarry.'' — Isa.  xlvi. 
9—13.  (Proposition  II  is  necessary  to  be  read  in  connection 
with  this  for  the  whole  of  the  Scriptural  argument  concern- 
ing the  Divine  Purpose  for  Universal  Salvation.) 

'Times  are  not  hidden  from  the  Almighty.' — .Tob  xxiv.  1. 
'New  things  do  I  Declare  ;  before  they  spring  forth  I  tell 
them.' — Isa.  xlii.  9. 

*I  have  Declared  the  former  things  from  the  Beginning, 
and  they  went  forth  out  of  My  mouth,  and  I  showed  them.' 
Isa.  xlviii.  3. 

'Known  unto  God  are  All  His  Works,  from  the  Begin- 
ning of  the  World.' — Acts  xv.  18. 

'He  hath  Determined  the  times  before  Appointed,  and  the 
Bounds  of  our  habitation,'  [existence.] — Acts  xvii.  17. 

'Against  Thy  holy  child  Jesus  whom  Thou  hast  anointed, 
both  Herod  and  Pontius  Pilate,  with  the  Gentiles  and  the 
People  of  Israel  were  gathered  together, /o?-  to  do  whatsoever 
Thy  hand  and  Thy  Counsel  before  Determined  to  be  done.' 
— Acts  iv.  27,  28.  'Him  being  delivered  by  the  Determi- 
nate CoiTNsEL  AND  Fore-Knowledge  OF  GoD,  ye  have  tak- 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  219 

en,  and  by  wicked  hands  have  crucified  and  slain.' — Acts  ii. 
23.  Here  we  see  that  the  Scriptures  themselves  do  recog- 
nize the  fact,  that  the  tv/o  fundamental  doctrines  of  our  Re- 
ligion and  philosophy,  viz  :  the  entire  Sovereignty  of  God, 
and  the  moral  Accountability  of  man,  are  both  true,  and  con- 
sequently in  some  manner  mutually  consistent.  These  prin- 
ciples in  connection,  involve  a  problem  which  is  deemed  very 
difficult  of  solution,  if  not  absolutely  inexplicable;  so  that 
many  have  preferred  to  abandon  one  or  the  other  of  those 
hypotheses,  in  despair  of  their  reconciliation.  Yet  it  is  plain 
that  the  Bible  no  more  explicitly  declares  that  the  cruciiixion 
of  Jesus  was  'by  wicked  hands,''  than  it  asserts  the  whole 
chain  and  measure  of  our  Saviour's  sufferings,  and  their 
manifold  wicked  causes,  to  have  been  'according  to  the  De- 
terminate Counsel  and  Foreknowledge  of  God.'  The  scheme 
of  Calvinism  has  ever  been  insufficient  to  explain  the  con- 
nection and  dependence  of  these  doctrines.  And  it  is  only 
that  system  of  Christian  Philosophy  which  defines  the  true 
relation  between  the  permission  of  evil,  and  of  human  sinful 
ness,  sufferings,  and  eart-lily  experiences,  loith  the  high  and 
eternal  interests  of  man,  that  is  competent  to  settle  the  ques- 
tion with  any  degree  of  satisfaction.  Acknowledge  the 
fact  that  human  iniquities,  and  therefore  also  the  punish- 
ments which  follow  in  their  course,  are  both  ordained  of 
heavenly  Wisdom,  (the  one  as  the  cause  of  the  other,)  for 
the  higher  good  of  'those  that  are  exercised  therebj','  and 
you  are  at  once  in  possession  of  the  golden  key  that  unlocks 
the  sacred  mystery, 

♦'If  plagues  or  earthquakes  break  not  Heaven's  design, 
Then  doth  a  Borgia  or  a  Cataline  ? 
Who  knows  but  He  whose  hand  the  lightning  forms, 
Wlio  heaves  old  ocean,  and  who  wings  the  storms, — 
Pours  fierce  ambition  in  a  Caesar's  mind, 
And  turns  young  Ammon  loose  to  scourge  mankind  ? 
Account  for  moral  as  for  natural  things  : 
God's  Wisdom  good  from  seeming  evil  brings. 
Why  charge  we  Him  in  those,  m  these  acquit  .' 
In  both,  to  reason  right,  is  to  submit. 
Better  for  us,  perhaps  it  might  appear. 
Were  there  all  harmony,  all  virtue  here  ; 
That  never  air  or  ocean  felt  the  wind  ; 
That  never  passion  discompos'd  the  mind. 


220  REASONS  FOR  OUK  HOPE. 

But  nature  lives  by  elemential  strife. 

And  p:issions  are  the  elements  of  life. 

Ttie  {general  order  since  the  whole  began. 

Is  kepi  in  nature,  and  is  Uopl  in  man." — Pope. 

The  Wisdom  of  Gnrl  \g  Suprkme,  r.oniprt  bending,  and  infinilelv  trans- 
ceiniiriiT  liie  unilcil  knowled<<e  and  powers  of  all  created  beings  ;  — 
Mighty,  having  inliniie  Resources  at  its  command  ;  and  Effec- 
tual, foi  the  peift-el  consninin;ilion  of  all  His  glorious  Devisings, 
6iip<r-diiecting  even  the  ways  of  man  to  contiibnie  lo  the  mysterioUB 
woiking-out  of  His  Purposes. 

'Go  1,  THE  ONLY  WisE.'— Rev.  xvi.  27  ;  1  Tim.  i.  27.— 
'The  foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  than  men.' — 1  Cor.  i.  25. 
•Even  the  angels  are  charged  whh  folly  in  His  sight.' — Job 
iv.  28.  'The  wisdom  of  this  world  is  Foolishness  with  God  ; 
and  it  is  written,  He  taketh  the  wise  in  their  own  craftiness.' 
— 1  Cor.  iii.  9.  'All  nations  before  Him  are  as  nothing; 
and  they  are  counted  to  Him  If^ss  than  nothing,  and  vanity.' 
— Isa.  xl.  17. 

'God  is  Might!/  in  strength  and  Wisdom.' — Job  xxxvi.  o. 
•Wisdom  and  Might  are  God's.' — Dan.  ii.  20.  'He  is  Wise 
in  heart,  and  Mighty  in  strength.' — Job.  ix.  4.  'The  Lord 
of  hosts  is  Wonderful  in  Cotmsel,  and  Excellent  in  Work- 
ing.'— Isa.  xxviii.  29.  'He  is  Great  in  Counsel,  and  Migh- 
ty in  Work.' — Jer.  xxxii.  17. 

♦The  Counsel  of  the  Lord  Standeth  Forever;  the  thoughts 
of  His  heart  ^o  All  Generations.' — Ps.  xxxiii.  11.  'What- 
soever God  doeth,  it  shall  he  forever  ;  nothing  can  be  put 
to  it,  nor  anything  taken  from  it.' — Ec.  iii.  14.  'Thy 
Counsels  of  Old,  are  Faithful  and  True.' — Isa.  xxv.  1. 
•*The  IM3IUTAB1L1TY  of  His  Counsel.' — Heb.  vi.  17.  'The 
works  zf/-ere  Finished,  [that  is,  with  Him  who  'seeth  those 
things  that  be  not,  as  though  they  were']  from  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world.'— Heb.  iv.  3.  'He  hath  done  all  things 
f^eZZ.'— Markvii.  37. 

'There  is  no  Wisdom,  nor  Understanding,  nor  Counsel 
against  the  Lord.' — Prov.  xxi.  30.  'There  are  many  de- 
vices in  a  man's  heart,  nevertheless,  the  Counsel  of  the  Lord, 
THAT  SHALL  STAND.' — Pfov.  xix.  21.  'A  man's  heart  devis- 
eth  his  way,  but  the  Lord  directeth  his  steps.' — Prov.  xvi. 
19.      For  'the  way  of  man  is  not  in  himself.' — Jer.  x.  23. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  221 

*Yea,  let  them  take  counsel  together,  [let  vien  endeavor 
to  baffle  My  Purposes:]  Who  haih  Declared  this  from  An- 
cient Time?  Who  hath  told  it  IVoai  that  titne  ?  Have  not 
I,  the  Lord?  and  who  is  God  but  Me, — a  Just  God  and  a 
Saviour?  There  is  7ione  besides  Me.  Look  unto  Me  and 
be  Ye  Saved,  All  the  Ends  of  the  Earth  !  for  I  am  God, 
atid  there  is  none  else  I  I  have  Sion7-7i  by  Myself  the  uord 
is  gone  out  of  My  rnoiLth  in  Righteousness,  and  shall  not  Re- 
turn :  That  unto  Me,  Eve.'  y  Knee  shall  Boiv,  Every 
Tongue  shall  Swear,  surely  shall  say.  In  the  Lord  have  I 
righteousness  and  strength.  Even  to  Him  shall  men  come  ; 
and  All  that  are  incensed  against  [unreconciled  to]  Him, 
shall  be  ashamed,  [subdued.]  In  the  Lord  shall  All  the 
Seed  of  Israel  [^ee  Kom.  iv.  16,]  be  justified  and  shall  glory.' 
— Isa.  xlv.  21--24. 

"If  we  cannot  conclude  from  the  Power,  Knowledge,  and 
Goodness  of  God,  that  the  viost  nolle,  God-like  end,  the 
highest  good,  shall  finally  be  eflvcted  under  the  Divine  ad- 
ministration, from  what  premises  can  we  infer  any  conclu- 
sion at  all  ?  Erroneous  as  human  reason  is.  it  is  impossible 
to  mistake  here.  Do?s  it  not  then  become  us  to  be  still,  un- 
der a  sense  that  God  is  God!  especially  when  we  consider 
that  with  Him  there  is  neid)er  variaijleness  nor  shadow  of 
turning?  So  that  He  will  remain  forever  the  same  Omnis- 
cient, Omnipotent,  and  infinitely  Good  Being,  and  to  all 
eternity  exert  Himself  to  do  tJie  Best  things.'''' 

"He  can  do  all  His  Pleasure;  He  knows  how  to  do  it, 
and  His  Pleasure  is,  to  do  the  Greatest  Good.  Must  not 
the  consequence  follow,  then  ?  When  ice  are  desirous  to  do 
anything,  and  have  a  clear  perception  of  the  kind  and  quan- 
tity of  means  necessary  for  the  best  accomplishment  of  our 
object,  a  skilful  foresight  of  every  possible  contingency,  and 
sufficient  strength  and  fortitude  to  prosecute  the  work,  re- 
move every  obstacle,  and  surmount  ev^ry  difficuliy  in  the 
way,  is  it  possible  that  after  all  our  object  should  be  utterly 
defeated?  Certainly  not.  And  shall  we  suppose  that  the 
designs  of  God  will  fail,  whose  Knowledge  and  Power  .^i . 
unlimited,  and  before  whom  nothing  is  a  difficulty,  nothing 

N 


2!^  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

an  impediment,  nothing-   any    discouragement  ?       By 
nieans,"— (-Key.  Nathaniel  Niles,  A.  M.) 

'•Submit  ;  in  tliis  or  any  other  sphere. 
Secure  »o  be  as  blest  as  thou  can''st  bear  : 
Safe  in  tlie  hand  of  th'  All-Disposing  Pow'r, 
Or  ill  the  natal,  or  the  mortal  hour  ; 
All  nature  is  but  art,  unknown  to  thee. 
All  chanre,  direction,  which  thou  can'at  not  see  ; 
All  discord,  harmony,  not  understood, 
All  partial  evil, — univemal  good. 
In  spite  of  pride,  in  erring  reason's  spite, 
This  truth  is  clear, —  Whatever  is,  is  right." 
"Here  then  we  rest  ;  the  Universal  Gause 
Acts  to  One  End,  but  acts  by  various  laws."— Vove. 


PROPOSITION  THIRTY-NINTH. 

Universal    Reconciliation    is    the    Fruit  of  God's  Infinity 
POWER. 

EVIDENCES. 

'¥e  do  err,  not  knowing  the  Scriptures  nor  the  Power  of  God.' 
'Is  anything  too  hard  for  the  Lord  ?' — Gen.  xviii.  14.  'Is 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  straitened  ?' — Mic.  ii.  7.  'Behold,  I 
am  the  Lord  God,  the  God  of  All  Flesh ;  Is  there  anything 
too  hard  for  Me.' — Jer.  xxxii.  27.  'Is  Mine  hand  shortened 
that  it  cannot  Redeem  ?' — Isa.  1.  2. 

'Thou  hast  made  the  heavens  and  the  earth  by  Thy  Great 
Poiver,  and  stretched-out  Arm  ;  and  behold.  There  is  Noth- 
ing too  hard  for  Thee.  Thou  showest  loving  kindness  unto 
thousands.' — Jer.  xxxii.  17. 

'Behold,  the  Lord's  hand  is  not  shortened  i/^af  it  canrwt 
Save.' — Isa.  lix.  1.  'There  is  no  restraint  to  the  Lord, 
to  Save  by  Many  or  by  Few.' — 1  Sam.  xiv.  6. 

'With  God,  all  things  are  Possible.'— Mark  x.  27.  'The 
weakness  of  God  is  Stronger  than  Men.' — 1  Cor.  i.  25. 

He  is  'Almighty.' — Ex.  vi.  3.    '  The  Lord  God  Almighty.' 

— Gen.  xvii.  1.    'The  Lord  God  Omnipotent.' — Rev.  xix.  6. 

'His  name  is,  The  Great,  the  Mighty  God,   Jehovah   of 

J»;©atis ;  Great  in  Counsel,  and  Mighty  in  work.' — Jer.  xxxii. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  223 

19.  'There  shall  be  nothing  impossible  with  God.' — Luke 
1.  27.     'I  know  that  Thou  can'st  do  everything.'' — Job  xlii.  2. 

'Lord,  it  is  nothing  with  Thee  to  lielp,  whether  with 
Many,  or  with  them  that  have  nopower  [to  help  theinsebcs.J 
Help  us,  O  Lord,  our  God,  for  we  rest  on  Thee.  -  -  Thou 
art  God,  let  not  Man  prevail  against  Thee.' — 1  Chron.  xiv. 
11. 

'In  Thy  hand  is  there  not  Power  and  Might,  so  that 
NONE  is  able  to  withstand  Thee?'— 2  Chron.  xx.  6. 

'Through  the  Greatness  of  Thy  Power  shall  Thine  ene- 
mies submit  themselves  unto  Thee.' — Ps.  Ixiii.  6,  'Thy 
People  SHALL  BE  WILLING  in  the  Day  of  Thy  Power.' — ex.  3. 

His  Power  is  a  'Glorious'  Power. — Col.  i.  11,  and  Ex. 
XV.  6.  'He  is  Able  to  Perform  what  He  hath  Promised,' 
— Rom.  iv.  21.  'Able  to  keep  us  from  fallino-,  and  to  pre- 
sent ws,  faultless  before  the  presence  of  His  Glory,  with  ex- 
ceeding joy.' — Jude  24.  'Able  to  make  All  Grace  abound 
towards  us.' — 1  Cor.  ix.  8.  'Able  to  do  exceeding  abun- 
dantly, above  all  we  can  ask  or  think.'' — Eph.  iii.  20.  'Able 
to  Save  to  the  Uttermost.' — Fleo.  vii.  25.  'Able  even  to 
Subdue  All  Things  unto  Himself.' — Phil.  iii.  21. 

•They  have  no  Knowledge,  -  -  that  pray  unto  a  God  that 
CANNOT  Save.' — Isa.  xlv.  20. 

When  it  was  asked  of  Jesus,  Wlio  then  can  be  Sated,  if 
it  were  harder  for  a  rich  man  t.o  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of 
heaven,  than  for  a  cable  to  pass  through  the  eye  of  a  nee- 
dle, his  answer  was,  ''WitJb  men,  this  is  impossible;  but 
WITH  GoD,  All  things  are  possible.' — Mat.  xix.  26.  'The 
things  that  are  impossible  with  men,  are  possible  with  God.' 
— Luke  xviii.  27. 

'He  saitli.  By  the  Strength  of  My  arm  have  I  done  it,  and 
by  My  Wisdom,  for  I  am  wise.  And  I  have  removed  the 
bounds  of  the  People,  and  have  grasped  the  treasures  of 
them,  and  I  have  humbled  the  Inhabitants  like  a  Valiant 
man.  And  My  hand  hath  found  as  a  nest  the  riches  of  the 
people;  and  as  one  gatherelh  eggs  that  are  ]eh,have  1  Ga- 
thered All  the  Earth.  And  there  was  none  that  moved 
the  wing,  or  opened  the  mouth,  or  peeped.     Should  the  axe 


224  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

raise  itself  against  him  thai  heweth  therewith?  or  should 
the  saw  magnify  itself  against  him  that  hanclleth  it?  As  if 
the  rod  should  shake  ilself  against  them  that  lift  it  up  ;  a$  if 
the  staff  should  lift  up  itself  as  though  it  luere  not  wood.^ — 
Isa.  X.  13--15. 

'Trust  Ye  in  the  Lord  ;  for  in  the  Lord  Jehovah  is  Ever- 
lasting Strength  !' — Isa.  xxvi.  4. 

'Of  what  avail  then,  are  the  doubts  and  fears,  the  cold 
speculations,  and  timid  conclusions  of  the  skeptical,  in  rela- 
tion to  the  interesting  subject  before  us  ?  Of  none  at  all. 
Men  who  doubt  and  reason  thus,  do  in  their  own  hearts, 
make  the  work  of  conversion  a  mere  business  of  moral  sua- 
sion by  force  of  reasoning  and  argument.  They  overlook 
the  Omnipotence  of  that  Spirit  whose  office  it  is  lo  bow  the 
stubborn  will,  and  soften  the  hearts  of  the  unbelieving. — 
What!  are  not  all  things  possible  with  God  ?  Can  He  not 
make  the  people  willing  in  the  day  of  His  Power?  Cannot 
He,  who  works  in  men  'according  lo  the  working  of  His 
mighty  Power  which  He  wrought  in  Christ  when  He  raised 
him  from  the  dead,'  can  He  not  make  the  deaf  to  hear,  the 
blind  to  see,  and  restore  the  dead  to  life  ?  Has  He  not  Pro- 
mised to  do  it  ?  Has  he  not  often  repeated  the  assurances 
that  He  will  do  it  ?  Has  he  not  done  it  in  numberless  in- 
stances ?  Is  anything  too  hard  for  God  ?  Are  not  All 
Hearts  in  his  hand,  and  can  he  not  turn  them  whithersoever 
He  will,  even  as  the  rivers  of  water  are  turned  ?  Can  any 
resist  God's  Will  ?  ^  *  And  how  can  they  abide 
in  unbelief,  when,  according  to  the  Promise  of  God,  of 
which  He  will  never  repent,  they  shall  have  a  neiv  heart 
and  a  right  spirit  s.ifG.n  to  them  ?  The  supposition  calls  in 
question  the  Veracity  of  God.  To  doubt  on  this  subject  is 
to  question  His  Power  and  Truth,  the  reality  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  and  the  Omnipotence  of  the  Holy  Spirit!  Be- 
lievers in  the  Scriptures  are  not  permitted  lo  doubt.  The 
thing  is  CERTAIN.  The  Decree  has  gone  forth,  stamped 
with  Heaven's  own  seal  I  Jehovah  hath  Sworn  by  Himself, 
that  Every  Knee  shall  yet  boio  to  Jesus,  and  Every  Tongue 
confess  that  He  is  Lord  .'"—(Prof.  Stuart,  of  Andover.) 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  225 

"Mightier  far 
Than  strength  of  nerve  or  sinew,  or  the  sway 
Of  rnai,'ic,   potent  over  sun  and  stars, — 
Is  Love.' — Wordsworth. 
*'EviI  and  Good  are  God's  rii,'ht  hand  and  left." 
"Oil,  He  halh  trimnpird  over  all  the  woild. 
In  iniircy,— over  Death,  and  Earth,  and  He!!, — 
All  God  hath  made  are  Sav'd, — Heav'n  is  complete." 

Festus. 


PROPOSITION  FORTIETH. 

The   OMNIPRESENCE    nf  Dei/ y  affords  Proof  of  Final 
Jjniversal    Holiness. 

EVIDENCES. 

*Am  I  a  God  at  hand,  and  not  a  God  afar  off?  Can  any 
hide  himself  in  secret  places,  that  I  shall  not  see  hiiTi  ?  Do 
not  \fill  heaven  and  earth  ?  saith  the  Lord.' — Jer.  xxiii. 
23,  24.  'He  filleth  All  m  All.'— Eph.  i.  23.  'He  is 
not  far  from  Every  One  of  us ;    For,  in  Him  we  live,  and 

MOVE,  AND  have  OUR  BEING.' ActS  xvii.  28. 

'The  High  and  Lofty  One  who  inhabiteth  Eternity, 
whose  name  is  Holy.' — It^a.  Ivii.  15.  'Times  are  not  hid- 
den from  the  Almighty.' — Job  xxiv.  \.  'All  things  are  na- 
ked and  open  unto  the  eyes  of  Him.' — Heb.  iv.  13. 

"With  God  Time  is  not  ;    unto  Him  all  is 
Present  Eternity.     Worlds,  beinijs,  years, 
With  all  their  natures,  po'.vers,  and  evenls. 
The  hounds  whereof  He  fashions  and  ordnins. 
Unfold  themselves  like  flowers.    Time  must  not  be 
Contrasted  with  eternity  ;   'tis  not 
A  second  of  the  Everlasting  Year." 

'God  is  Love.' — 1  John  iv.  10.  'God  is  a  Spirit.' — John 
iv.  24.  'Where  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is,  there  is  Liberty.' 
2  Cor.  iii.  17.  'Whither  shall  I  go  from  Thy  Spirit  ?  or 
whither  shall  I  flee  from  Thy  Presence?  If  I  ascend  up 
into  heaven,  Thou  art  there  ;  if  I  make  my  bed  in  Sheol, 
[Hell,]  behold,  Thou  art  there,  -  -  even  there  shall  Thy 
hand,  [the  Parent-Spirit  of  Love  and  Liberty,]  lead  me,  and 
Thy  right  hand  Guide  me.' — Ps.  cxxxix.  7-10. 


ggg  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

'Hell  and  Destruction  are  before  the  Lord.' — Prov.  xv.  11. 
'Hell  is  naked  before  Him,  and  Destruction  hath  no  covering-,' 

Job  xxvi.  6.     'Though  they  dig  into  Hell,   thence   shall 

Mine  hand  take  them.' — Amos  ix.  2.  Herein  we  discover 
that  the  Presence  of  the  Father-Spirit  is  manifest  also  in 
Sheoh  and  that  His  mighty  hand  shall  redeem  even  those 
who  dig  into  its  power. 

'Shall  the  throne  of  Iniquity  have  [everlasting]  Fellow- 
ship with  Thee  ?'—Ps.  xciv.  20.  'Evil  shall  NOT  Dwell 
with  Thee;  the  Foolish  shall  rio^  stand  [endure]  in  Thy 
siffht.' — V,  4,  5.  'Thou  art  of  purer  eyes  than  to  behold 
Evil,'  [that  13,  absolute,  total,  final  Evil.]      Hab.  i.  12. 

'Verily,  Thou  art  a  God  that  Mdcst  Thyself,  O  God  of 
Israel,  the  Saviour.'— Isa.  xlv.  15.  For  He  is  'The  Invisi- 
ble God.'— Col.  i.  15.     'O  Lord,   wilt  Thou  hide    Thyself 

Forever?' Ps.  Ixxxix.  46.     'I  hid  My  face  /or  a  moment, 

but  with  everlasting  Kindness  will  I  have  Mercy  on   thee.' 

Isa.  liv.  8.     'Neither  will  I  hide   My  face  any  more  from 

them.' — Ezek.  xxxix.  29.  'The  Glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be 
revealed,  and  All  Flesh  shall  See  it  together.'— Isa.  xl.  5. 
'In  Thv  Pres3nce  is  Fulness  of  Joy.' — Ps.  xvi.  11.  'I  shall 
Praise  "Him,  for  His  Presence  is  Salvation.' — xlii.  5. 

'•Where  God  tlotli  vital  breathe,  there  rriHsl  be  joy  ! 
When  e'en  at  last  the  solemn  honr  shall  come, 
And  wing  my  mystic  way  to  future  worlds, 
I  ciieerfiri  will  obey  ;  there  with  new  pow'rs 
Will  risinsj  numbers  sinor.     I  cannot  go, 
Where  Universal  love  snilesr.ot  aronnd, 
Siisiuininir  all   vein  orhs  and  all  ihoir  suns, 
From  seenainiT  Evil  slill  educing  Good, 
And  belter  thence  afjdin,  and  better  still, 
In  infinite  proi;ression       But  I  lose 
Myself  in  Him,  the  Light  InelTable."— Thompson. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  227 


PROPOSITION  FORTY-FIRST. 

Universal  Salvation  is  the  Final  Consequence  of  God's  In- 
finite TRUTH. 

[This  Attribute  we  consider  as  comprehending  Four  several  importanit 
Qualities  of  llie  Divine  Nature,  upon  each  of  which  is  founded  a 
distinct  Scriptural  argument  for  Universal  Redemption.] 

I.    THE  FAITHFULNESS 

Of  God  it  Scripturally  Evident  of  the  Ultimate  Reconciliatien  of 

Alt. 

'Take  ye  no  thought  [anxiety]  for  your  life,  what  ye  shall 
eat,  or  what  ye  shall  drink,  nor  yet  for  your  body  what  ye 
shall  put  on.  Is  not  your  life  more  [precious  in  the  estima- 
tion of  your  Father]  than  7neat,  and  the  body  than  raiment? 
Behold  the  fowls  of  the  air  ;  they  sow  not,  neither  do  they 
reap,  nor  gather  into  barns.  Yet  your  heavenly  Father 
feedeth  them.  [And]  are  ye  not  much  better  than  they  ? 
-  •  Wherefore  if  God  so  clothe  the  field,  &c.  shall  He  not 
MUCH  MORE  regard  You  1  0  ye  of  little  faith  !' — Mat.  vi. 
25-30. 

'Are  not  two  sparrows  sold  for  a  farthingl  and  not  [even] 
one  OF  THESE,  shall  fall  to  the  ground  without  your  Father. 
But  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all  numbered.  Fear  ye 
not  therefore  ;  Ye  are  of  more  value  than  many  sparrows.'' 
—Mat.  X.  29-31. 

'His  Truth  shall  be  thy  shield  and  buckler.' — Ps.  xci.  4. 
'He  shall  Judge  the  world  with  Righteousness,  and  the  Peo- 
ple with  His  Truth.' — Ps.  xcvi.  13. 

'What  if  some  did  not  believe  ?  Shall  their  unbelief 
make  the  Faith  \the  Faithfulness^  ot  God  of  none  effect  ? 
God  forbid!  Yea,  let  God  be  True,  and  every  man  a  liar.' 
[that  is,  God  will  be  Trite, — true  to  the  eternal  ties  of  His 
Creatorial  and  Paternal  relationship  to  Mankind,  and  faith- 
ful to  the  Fulfilment  of  His  Pleasure  and  Promise, — though 
every  man  were  an  Unbeliever.] — Rom.  iii.  3,  4. 

A  woman   may  forget  her   suckling  child,  and  lose  her 


228  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE, 

compassion  for  the  son  of  her  womb,  yet  God  will  not  For- 
get His. — Isa.  xlix.  14.  'His  Comp-.issions  fail  not.' — 
Lam.  iii.  22.  'I  will  never  leave  thee  nor  Forsake  thee.' — 
Heb.  xiii.  5.  David  prayed,  'Forsake  not  the  Works  of 
Thiiie  oion  hands.' — Ps.  cxxxviii.  8.  'I  the  Lord  will  not 
Forsake  them.' — Isa.  xli.  17.  'For  the  Lord  thy  God  is  a 
Merciful  God;  He  will  not  Forsake  thee,  neither  destroy 
thee,  nor  Forget  the  Covenant  [Promise]  unto  thy  lathers 
which  He  Sware  unto  them.' — Deut.  iv.  31. 

'His  Truth  and  Faithfulness  endureth  to  All  Genera- 
tions.'— Ps.  c.  5;  cxix.  90.  'He  keepeth  Truth  forever.' — 
cxlvi,  6. 

'The  Lord  upholdeth  ^ZZ  that  fall,  and  raiseth  up  All 
that  are  bowed  down.  The  eyes  of  All  wait  upon  Thee, 
and  Thou  givestthem  their  meat  in  due  season.' — Ps.  cxlv. 
14,  15.  'Let  All  Flesh,  [or,  'AH  Flesh  shall,']  bless  His 
holy  name  forevermore.' — 21. 

"Himself  the  Magnet  of  the  Universe, 

Round  Whom  all  spirits  tremble,  and  towards  Whom 

Ail  tend." — Bailey. 

II.  the  impartiality 
Of  God  Indicates  the  Truth  of  Universal  Redemption. 

'There  is  no  Eespect  of  persons  with  God.' — Rom.  ii.  11. 
'Of  a  truth,'  said  Peter,  -I  perceive  that  God  is  no  Respecter 
of  Persons.' — Acts  x.  34.  'God  doth  not  Respect  any  per- 
son ;  yet  doth  He  devise  means,  that  His  Banished  be  not 
[utterly]  expelled  from  Him.' — 2  Sam.  iv.  14. 

'There  is  no  Respect  of  persons  with  the  Lord  our  God, 
twr  taking  of  gifts,'  [i.  e.  purchasing  of  favors.]— 2  Chron. 
xix.  7.  'God  regardelh  not  persons,  7ior  taketh  reward' 
[He  blesses  impartially,  and  therefore/reeZ?/.] — Dent-  x.  17. 

'He  respecteth  not "  {exclusively l\  any  that  are  wise  of 
heart.'— Job  xxxvii.  24.  'Sendeth  rain  and  sunshine  upon 
«Ae  eyz7as  well  as  the  good,  upon  the  just,  no  more  than 
upon  the  unjust:  'Is  Kind  to  the  Unthankful  and  the  Evil: 
Is  'without  Partiality.' 

God  has  impartially  concluded  the  whole  human  race  in 
sin,    error    and  unbelief,  (Prop.  XIII,)— with  equal  impar- 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  229 

tiality  did  Jesus  suffer  for  All,  (Prop,  XI,)  and  with  the 
same  impartiality  shall  the  Grace,  Gift,  and  Redemption  of 
God,  ultiir>ately  be  realized  to  All,  (Prop.  XIV,  XV,  &c.) 

Jesus  reprimanded  the  bigoted  Pharisees  for  their  selfish- 
ness of  heart,  and  partialiem  of  faidi,  because  they  wished 
to  close  the  kingdom  of  heaven  wliich  was  for  All,  that  oth- 
ers should  not  go  in. — Mat.  xxiii.  13. 

The  Lord  is  not  a  respector  o^  Persons,  (Eph.  vi.  9,  &c.) 
He  is  not  a  respector  of  Nations,  (Isa.  xlix.  6,  Rom.  xi.,  &c.) 
He  is  not  a  respector  of  Times, — so,  if  this  life  be  a  state 
where  reigns  the  impartial  love  and  goodness  of  God,  and 
the  freedom  of  salvation  for  man,  so  also  is  the  next ;  if  He 
has  the  Ability,  Desire,  and  Mercy  to  exterminate  sin  ulti- 
mately from  this  xoorld,  and  bring  in  universal,  everlasting, 
righteousness  and  peace,  so  has  He  also'  for  the  other  loorld. 
— Heb.  xiii.  8 ;  Rom.  viii.  38 ;  Eph.  i.  21 ;  Rev.  v.  13,  &c. 

III.     THE   VERACITY 
Of  God  is   Pledged  for   Universal  Blessedness. 

'It  is  impossible  for  God  to  lie.' — Heb.  vi.  IS.  'The 
Covenant  which  God  made  Avith  our  Fathers,  saying  unto 
Abraham,  In  thy  seed  [Christ]  shall  All  the  Kindreds  of  the 
Earth  be  Blessed, — in  turning  away  every  one  from  his  in- 
iquities.'—Acts  iii.  25,  26.  'My  Covenant,  saith  the  Lord, 
I  will  not  break,  nor  alter  the  thing  that  has  gone  out  of  My 
lips.'— Ps.  Ixxxix.  34. 

'I  will  Ransom  them  from  the  power  of  Hell,  [Sheol ;] 
I  will  Redeem  them  from  'Death  !  0  Death,  I  will  be  thy 
plagues;  0  Hell,  [Sheol,]  I  will  be  thy  destruction  !  Re- 
pentance shall  be  hid  from  Mine  eyes.' — Hos.  xiii.  14.  'The 
Strength  of  Israel  will  not  lie,  nor  repent ;  for  He  is  not  a 
man  that  He  should  repent.' — 1  Sam.  xv.  29. 

'Hath  He  said,  and  shall  He  not  do  it?  or  hath  He  spo- 
ken, and  shall  He  not  make  it  good  ?' — Numb,  xxiii.  19.  'I 
will  not  keep  anger  forever.' — Jer.  iii.  12.  'I  will  not  Con- 
tend forever.' — Isa.  Ivii.  16. 

See  for  a  fuller  exhibition  of  this  argument,  all  the  chap- 

14 


S3d  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

ters  concerning  the  Promise,  and  Oath,  contained  in  Prop- 
ositions IV,  V,  VI. 

•'VVIiy  should  I  make  a  man  my  trust  ? 
Princes  must  die  and   turn  to  dust,    ■ 

Viiin  is  the  help  of  flosh  and  blood: 
Their  breath  departs,  (heir  pomp  and  pow'r, 
And  thoughts  all  vanish  in  an  hour  ; 

Nor  can  they  make  their  promise  good. 

Happy  the  man  whose   hopes  rely 
On  Israel's  God  who  made  the  sky, 

And  earth  and  seas  with  all  their  train  ; 
Whose  Truth  forever  shall  endure, 
And   glory  to  all  souls  socure. 

For  none  shall  find  His  Promise  vain. 


IV.     THE  UNCHANGEABILITY 
Of  God  furnishes  Reasons  for  the  truth  of  The  Great  Salvation, 

'I  am  the  Lord,  I  change  not ;  therefore  5^6  sons  of  Jacob 
are  not  consumed.' — Mai.  iii.  6.  'The  Lord  is  good  and 
tenderly  merciful  to  all  His  7Vorks.'  Then  no  creature  will 
ever  cease  to  be  the  object  of  His  solicitude  and  care. 

'Every  good  gift,  and  every  perfect  gift  is  from  above,  and 
Cometh  down  from  the  Father  of  lights,  ivith  tokom  is  no 
Variableness,  neither  shadow  of  Tur7iiTtg.' — Jas.  i.  17. — 
'God  clothes  even  the  grass.decks  even  the  lillies  of  the  field, 
marks  every  sparrow's  fall,  but  much  more  takes  care  of 
men,  aye,  even  of  every  hair  of  their  head,  because  they 
are  of  much  more  value  than  those.'  Consequently  His 
watchfulness  over  them  shall  exist  throughout  the  immor- 
tality of  their  existence. 

'God  is  Perfect,  and  therefore  loves  the  world,  even  His 
enemies,  and  not  merely  those  who  love  Him,'  But  'He  is 
the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  Forever.^ — Heb.  xiii.  8. 

He  is 'The  God  and  Father  of  AIL'  And  it  is  written, 
'Thou  art  the  same,  and  Thy  years  shall  have  no  end.' — 
Job  V.  19.     Thus,  God  will  be  eternally  'Our  Father.' 

'He  is  of  ONE  MIND,  and  none  can  turn  Him.'— Job  xxiii. 
13.  'He  Punishes  for  our  profit;'  'doth  not  afflict  willing- 
ly ;'  'is  very  pitiful ;'  'of  tender  mercy ;'  'knoweth  our 
frame,  and  remembereth  that  we  are  but  dust ;'    'knoweth 


UEASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  231 

what  we  have  need  of,  and  giveth  us  not  stone  for  bread.' 
These  facts  plainly  show  that  the  future  condition  of  man  S 
not  that  of  utter,  hopeless,  meiciless,  endless  abandonment  to 
fein  and  suffering. 

'When  the  wicked  turneth  away  from  his  wickedness 
that  he  hath  committed,  and  doeth  that  which  is  lawful  atid 
right,  he  shall  save  his  soul  alive  ;  because  he  covsidereth, 
and  turneth  aivaij  from  all  his  transgressions,  he  shall  sure- 
ly live,  he  shall  not  die.'— Ezek.  xviii.  27,  28.  'Whosoevet 
will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely.' — Rev.  xxii.  17. 
Whatever  be  the  nature  or  degree  of  man's  independence 
of  will  and  agency  from  those  of  the  Being  in  whom  He 
lives  and  moves  forever,  we  have  not  a  particle  of  evideniie 
that  such  self-agency  on  the  part  of  man  will  ever  be  taken 
from  him,  and  destroyed.  Now  if  the  Lord  be  eternally  the 
same,  as  we  have  proved,  eternally  merciful,  eternally  good, 
eternally  Parental  in  the  government  of  His  immortal  chil- 
dren, and  eternally  aWealso  to  subdue,  reform,  and  sanctify, 
we  see  at  once,  that  supposing  we  enter  the  future  world 
with  all  the  facilities  of  evil-doing  we  possess  in  this,  that  the 
notion  of  this  infant  life  being  the  exclusive  probationary 
state  in  all  eternity,  (of  which  Revelation  is  silent  as  the 
grave,)  must  be  altogether  erroneous.  It  is  plain  then,  that 
to  prove  endless  punishment,  you  must  prove  also  endless, 
incessant,  entire  criminality  ;  for  to  suppose  that  God  en- 
tirely puts  it  out  of  the  power  of  the  wicked  to  continue  in, 
and  eternally  repeat  or  multiply  their  crimes,  and  yet  that 
He  perpetuates  endless  sufferings  upon  them,  is  incredible  ; 
for  harmless,  innocent  souls  could  not  possibly  deserve 
such  torments.  But  while  the  whole  Bible  contains  not  one 
single  clause  in  proof  of  i/^e  co-E^cr/rZ/z/  of  Satan,  wicked- 
ness, hell,  error,  or  ignorance,  with  God,  Heaven,  Holiness, 
and  Knowledge,  it  clearly  reveals  in  a  hundred  several  pla- 
ces, the  final  detraction  of  the  former,  in  the  universal  tri- 
umph and  prevalence  of  the  latter.  Besides,  it  is  to  be  ob- 
served, that  in  all  the  passages,  without  a  single  exception, 
(though  they  only  number  a  dozen,  or  thereabouts,)  where 
the  doom  of  endless  woe  is  pretended  to  be  taught,  the  pun- 
ishment threatened  is  always  for  deeds  of  the  fl'n.h,  or  unbe- 


232  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

lief,  in  this  world.  Neither  is  there  the  least  particle  of 
proof  to  be  drawn  from  the  Scriptures,  that  any  liberty  of 
will  possessed  by  the  creature  shall  finally  and  eternally 
prevail  against  the  Supreme  Will  of  the  Creator,  and  the 
Purposes  of  its  Goodnt-ss  and  Wisdom.  There  is  enough, 
on  the  contrary,  to  convince  us,  that  whatever  is  apparently 
cross-wise  of  the  way  between  man  and  Maker,  is  after  all 
concomitant  of  the  Mighty  Plan  ;  that  Free  Agency  itself, 
as  much  of  it  as  there  exists,  is  but  a  link  of  the  complicated 
chain  of  means,  that  is  to  result  in  bringing  man  to  'come  to 
himself,''  (Luke  xv.  17,)  and  thus  ultimately,  also,  that  'All 
Nations  lohom  God  has  viade  shall  coi\rE  and  worship  before 
Him,  and  Glorify  His  7ia?ne.' — Ps.  Ixxxix.  9.  See  also  Ps. 
xxii.  27  ;  Ixv.  2;  John  vi.  37 ;  xii.  32;    Ps.  ex.  3,  &c. 


PROPOSITION  FORTY-SECOND. 

Universal  Righteousness  will  be  the  Final   Issue   of  God's 
Infinite  HOLINESS. 

EVIDENCES. 

'Who  is  like  unto  Thee,  Glorious  in  Holiness  ?' — Exod. 
XV.  11.  'Ye  SHALL  BE  HOLY, /or  7  ^/^e  Lord  yotir  God  am 
Holy.' — Lev.  xi.  44.  'It  is  I,  the  Lord,  which  sanctify  3^ou.' 
— XX.  7. 

'If  the  first-fruit  be  holy,  the  lump  is  also  holy.'— Rom. 
xi.  16.  '0,  sing  unto  the  Lord  a  new  song  ;  for  He  hath 
done  marvellous  things  ;  His  right  hand,  and  His  holy 
ARM  hath  gotten  Him  the  Victory.  The  Lord  hath  made 
known  His  Salvation'.'— Ps.  xcviii.  1-3. 

'Thou  only  art  Holy,  O  Lord  :  for  All  Nations  shall 
come  and  worship  before  Thee.'---B.ev.  xv.  4. 

"We  cannot  see,  [said  Wesley,]  that  there  is  anything  in 
it  either  odious  or  terrible,  anything  that  is  calculated  to  ex- 
cite either  hatred  or  fear,  in  any  reasonable  creature. — 
What  reasonable  objection  can  you  have  to  the  lovino  the 
Lord  your  God  with  all  your  heart  ?  Then,  ifit  would  not 
hurt  you,  or  lessen  your  happiness  either  in  this  world  or 
the  world  to  come,   why  should  you  be   afraid   if  all   men 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  233 

were  to  give  Him  their  whole  heart  ?  Is  such  an  event  one 
that  is  to  he  feared  ?  Is  it  a  proper  object  of  hatred  ?  Or 
is  it  the  most  amiable  thing  under  the  sini?  Is  it  not  rather 
desirable  in  the  highest  degree  ?  Is  there  amjthing  more 
lovely,  more  to  be  desired  by  every  child  of  man  ?  Why 
then  should  you  be  averse  to  Universal  Holiness  ?  Why 
should  you  enteriain  any  prejudice  against  this,  or  look  upon 
it  with  apprehension  ?  Can  you  conceive  anything  more 
excellent  and  desirable  than  this?  Set  prejudice  aside,  and 
surely  you  will  desire  to  see  it  universally  diffused." 

"And  All  shall  he  alike  like  liini,  yet  All 
Unlike  eacli  oilier  and  1  liemselvps.     The  Eiirili 
Shall  viinish  from  the  thoiijihis  oCihot^e  she  bore, 
As  have  ihe  idols  of  the  olden  lime 
From  mens'  hearts  of  the  present.     All  delight 
And  all  desire  shall  be  wiiii  heavenly  thinjis. 
And  the  new  nature  God  beslov.ed  on  man." 


.  PROPOSITION    FORTY-THIRD. 

The  Glorification  of  All  the  Souls  of  Men,  will  be  the  Final 
Achievement  of  Infinite  LOVE. 
"When  creatures  stray 
Farthest  from  Thee,  then  warnifst  towards  them  beams 
Thy  Love, — ev'n   as  yon  sun    iieaen.s  hfuliesi  on 
The  earth,  when  distant   most." — Bailey. 

EVIDENCES. 

'We  have  known  and  bdieved  the  Love  which  God  hath 
to  us.     God  is  LOVE.' — 1  John  iv.  16. 

'Love  thinkethno  Evil.' — 1  Cor.  .xiii.  5.  'Love  tcorketh 
no  III.' — Rom.  xiii.  10.  'Love  is  the  bond  of  Perfectness  ' 
—Col.  iii.  14. 

'Love  is    the  Fulfilling  of  the    Law.' — Rom.  xiii.  10. 

It  is  the  Promise  of  the  Lord,  that  He  will  put  His  holy 
LAW  into  every  heiirt,  and  write  it  into  every  mind,  that  All 
shall  Know  Him,  from  the  least  even  to  the  greatest. — Jer. 
xxxi.  Heb.  x.  &c.  The  Redeemer  canie  to  Fulfil  the  Law 
of  the  Lord,  and  testified  that  heaven  and  eaith  should  soon- 


2|^  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  , 

er  pass  away,  than  thai   one  jot  or  tillle  of  the  Laio  should 
FQ,il. — Mat.  V  ;  Luke  xvi. 

The  Lord  is'ihe  God  of  Love  and  Peace' — 2  Cor.  iii.  11. 
'Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  Love  of  Christ?  -  - 
Shall  tribulation,  or  distress,  or  persecution,  or  famine,  or 
nakedness,  or  sword?  -  -  Nay,  in  all  these  things  we  are 
more  than  conquerors  through  him  that  loved  us.  For  I  am 
persuaded  that  neither  life,  nor  death,  nor  angels,  nor  prin- 
cipalities, nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come, 
shall  be  able  to  Separate  us  from  the  Love  of  God,  which  is 
in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.' — Rom.  viii.  35-39. 

'The  Love  of  Christ  passetii  all  knowledge.' — Ephes. 
iii.  19  ;  Phil.  iv.  7.  It  is  greater  than  we  are  capable  of 
realizing  or  desiring, — it  surpasses  all  we  can  comprehend 
of  the  extent  of  evil,  all  that  we  can  imagine  of  the  great 
necessities  of  humanity.  'Many  waters  cannot  quench 
his  Love,  neither  can  the  floods  drown  it.' — Cant.  viii.  7. 

'God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  His  Great  Love  where- 
with He  loved  us,  even  when  we  were  dead  in  sins,  hath 
quickened  us  together  with  Christ;  by  Grace  areye  saved.' 
— Eph.  ii.  3-5. 

'The  Lord  thy  God  in  the  midst  of  thee  is  Mighty  ;  he 
will  Save  ;  he  will  Rejoice  over  thee  with  joy  :  he  will 
REST  IN  His  Love  ;  he  will  joy  over  thee  with  singing.' 
— Zeph.  iii.  17.  'The  King  of  Israel,  even  the  Lord,  is  in 
the  midst  of  thee  ;  thou  shall  not  see  Evil  any  more.' — v.  15. 
'Yea,  I  have  loved  thee  with  an  Everlasting  Love  ;  there- 
fore with  loving-kindness  have  I  drawn  thee.'— Jer.  xxxi. 
3.  'In  His  Love  and  in  His  Pity  He  redeemed  His  People, 
and  hare  them,  and  carried  them  all  the  days  of  Old.' — Isa. 
Ixiii.  9. 

"The  Love  of  God, 
The  New  Religion,  universal,  perfect, — 
Worthy  Christ's  mission.     And  his  great  command. 
His  all-sufficing  precept, — was't  not  Love  ? 
And  to  love  God,  we  must  His  creatures  love. 
To  love  His  creatures,  both  ourselves  and  Him. 
Thus  love  is  all  that's  fair,  and  good,  and  heav'nly." 

(Bailey' i  Ftstiu.) 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  235 

"There  is  a  golden  chord  of  sympathy, 
Fix'd  in  the  harp  of  every  human  soul  ; 
Which  by  the  breath  of  Kindness  when  'tis  swept, 
Wakes  angel  melodies  in  savnjje  hearts, 
Inflicts  sore  chastisements  for  treasur'd  wrongs, 
And  melts  the  ice  of  hate  to  streams  of  love  ; — 
J\''or  aught  but  Kindness  that  fine  chord  can  touch." 

Rev.  D.  K.  Lee. 


PROPOSITION  FORTY-FOURTH. 

As  the  Universal  CREATOR,  God  will  be  the  Redeemer  of 

All. 

EVIDENCES. 

'All  Things  were  created  by  Him.  and  FOR  Him.' — 
Col.  i.  16.  'God  hath  created  All  Things  for  Himself.' — 
Prov.  xvi.  4.  'For  of  Him,  and  through  Him,  and  TO 
HIM  are  All  Things,  to  Whom  be  glory  forever.' — Rom. 
xi.  36. 

'Thou  art  worthy,  0  Lord,  to  receive  Glory,  and  Honor, 
and  Power,  for  Thou  hast  created  All  Things,  and /or  Thy 
Pleasure  they  are,  and  were  Created. '—-Rev.  iv.  11. 

'Every  one  that  is  called  by  My  name,  I  have  Created 
him  for  Glory.  I  have  Formed  him,  yea,  I  have  Made  him'' 
— Isa.  xliii.  7. 

'Ask  of  Me  things  to  come  concerning  My  sons  ;  and  cpn- 
cerning  the  Work  of  My  hands,  command  ye  Me.  I  have 
made  the  Earth,  and  created  Man  upon  it.  -  -  I  have  RA^s- 
ED  him  up  for  righteousness,  and  Iwill  direct  all  his  ways.'' 
-.-Isa.  xlv.  9-13. 

'I  will  make  a  Man  more  precious  than  fine  gold  ;  even, 
a  man  than  the  golden  ivedge  of  Ophir.'—lsa..  xiii.  12. 

'Thy  People  also  shall  be  All  righteous,  -  -  the  Work  or 
My  hands,  that  I  may  be  Glorified.' — Isa.  Ix.  21. 

'We  are  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made.' — Ps.  cxxjp;?. 
14.  'He  hath  made  His  wonderful  works  to  be  rememb^B- 
ED.'— Ps.  cxi.  4.  'The  Lord  shall  Rejoice  in  His  wob^.' 
—civ.  31. 

'For  [^ven]  every  beast  of  the  field  is  Mine,  and  the  c^a^ 
upon  a  thtflqs^nd  ijiU^ ;  I  knfm  fIkU  the  foi/ok  of  the   m)M»~ 


256  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

tains;  and  the  wild  beasts  are  Mine.'— Ps,  1.  10,  11.  'Not 
even  a  sparrow  can  fall  wiihonl  the  Father.'  'Jesus  Knew 
All  Men,  and  what  was  in  Man.' 

'The  rich  and  the  poor  meet  together  ;  the  Lord  is  the 
Maker  of  them  All.'— Prov.  xxii  2.  'Him  that  regardeth 
not  the  rich  more  than  the  poor,  for  they  are  All  the  Work 
of  His  hands.' — Job  xxxiv.  19. 

'In  the  day  that  God  created  Man,  in  the  likeness  of  God 
made  He  him.  Thon  hast  made  him  a  little  loioer  than 
the  angels,  [but  'in  the  resurrection,'  said  our  Saviour,  'they 
shall  be  EQUAL  to  the  angels,']  and  hast  crowned  him  with 
glory  and  honour.  Thon  mad'st  him  to  have  dominion  over 
the  works  of  Thy  hands;  Thou  hast  put  all  things  under 
his  feet.' — Ps.  viii.  5-7.  'Wherefore,  hast  Thou  made  all 
men,  [or  even  any  vian,]  in  vain  ?' — Ixxxix.  47.  'Nay, 
much  more  those  members  of  the  Body  which  seem  to  be 
more  feeble,  ake  necessary.'— 1  Cor.  xii.  22.  'O  Lord, 
Forsake  not  the  TForAvy  of  Thine  own  hands.'— Vs.  cxxxviii. 
8.  The  Bible  teaches  that  God  created  man  in  His  oivn 
image;  that  is.  He  has  endowed  the  human  soul  with  a 
minialure  transcript  of  His  own  infinite  qualities,  of  good- 
ness, love,  pity,  justice,  intelliircnce,  &c.  It  is  often  boldly 
asserted  without  proof,  that  Man  hns  utterly  lost  the  divine 
likeness.  A  pas.-age  however  in  the  Epistle  of  James,  (iii. 
9,)  entirely  annihilates  this  assumption.  Speaking  of  the 
toiigue,  he  says,  'Therewith  bless  we  the  Father,  and  there- 
with curse  we  Men,  which  are  made  after  the  similituee  of 
God.'  This  was  4000  years  after  'the  fall,'  and  no  one 
will  pretend  that  we  have  lost  it  since. 

'Thine  hands  have  made  me,  and  fashioned  me  round 
about,  (and  the  inspiration  of  the  Almighty  hath  given  me 
understanding;)  yet,  dost  Thou  destroy  me,  [with  everlas- 
ting torture  .?]  "Remember,  I  beseech  Thee,  that  Thou 
hast  made  me  as  the  clay,  and  wilt  Thou  bring  me  to  noth- 
ingness ?  [or  to  what  is  infinitely  more  terrific,— ew<f/eM  suf- 
fering^ .?]  -  -  Thou  hast  clothed  me  wfth  skin  and  flesh, 
and  ha>t  fenced  me  with  bones  and  sinews  ;  Thou  hast 
granted  me  life  and  favor,  and  Thy  visitation  hath  preserv- 
ed my  spirit,  and  these  things  hast  Thou  hid  in  Thine  heart  V 
—Job  X.  8-13. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  237 

'He  hath  made  every  thing  beautiful  in  his  time.' — Ec. 
}ii.  11.     'He  hath   done  all    things  well.' — Mark  vii.  3  7 

'God,  that  made  the  world  and  all  things  therein,  seeing 
that  He  is  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  -  -  giveth  to  All,  life, 
and  breath,  and  all  things,  and  hath  made  of  one  blood  All 
Nations  for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth  :  and  hath 
Determined  the  times  before  Appointed,  and  the  bounds  of 
their  habitation,  that  they  should  seek  the  Lord,'  &;c- — 
Acts  xvii.  24--27. 

'It  is  He  that  hath  made  Us,  and  not  we  ourselves.' — Ps. 
c.  5.  He  is  'the  God  of  the  Spirits  of  All  Flesh.' — 
Numb.  xvi.  22.  'The  dust  shall  return  to  the  earth  as  it 
was,  but  the  spirit  shall  return  unto  God  who  gave  it.' — 
Eccl.  xii.  7. 

'O  house  of  Israel,  cannot  I  do  with  yon,  as  this  Potter  ? 
sailh  the  Lord.  Behold,  as  the  clay  is  in  the  Potter's  hand, 
so  are  ye  in  Mine  hand,  saith  the  Lord.' — Jer.  xviii.  6. 

'Thy  hands  have  made  me  and  fashioned  me  :  give  me 
understanding  that  I  may  learn  Thy  Commandments,' — Ps. 
cxix.  73. 

'Behold,  I  Make  All  Things  New  !' — Rev.  xxi.  5. 

"Presumptuous  man  !  tlie  reason  would'st  thou  find. 

Why  torm'd  so  weak,  so  little,  and  so  blind  ? 

First,  if  thou  canst,   the   harder  reason  guess, 

Wh}'  formed  no  weaker,  blinder,  and  no  less  ? 

Ask  of  thy  mother  Earth  why  oaks  are  made, 

Taller  and  stronger  than  the   weeds  they  shade  ? 

Or  ask  of  yonder  argent  fields  above, 

Why  Jove's  satellites  are  less  than  Jove  ? — 

Of  system's  possible,  if 'tis  confess'd 

That  Wisdom  infinite  has  form'd  the  best. 

Where  all  musi full,  or  not  coherent  be, 

And  all  that  rises,  rise  in  due  degree, — 

Then  in  creation's  scale  of  life  'lis  plain, 

There  must  be  sovieivherc,  svch  a  rank  as  Man  ; 

And  all  the  question,  (wrangle  e'er  so  long,) 

Is  only  this,  if  God  has  plac'd  him  wrong  ?" 

"But  say  not  Man's  imperfect,  Heav'n  in  fault, 
Say  rather,  Man's  as  perfect  as  he  ought  ; 
His  knowledge  measur'd  to  his  state  and  place. 
His  time  a  moment  here,  a  point  his  space." — Pope. 

••We  WERE  made  to  be  sav'd, —  We  are  of  God," 
0 


238  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 


PROPOSITION    FORTY-FIFTH. 

As  the  U?iiyer5«Z  FATHER,    the  Lord  is  the    Friend,  and 
will  also  he  the  Saviour  of  All. 

EVIDENCES, 

'One  God,  the  Father  of  All.' — Eph.  iv.  6.  'To  u?, 
there  is  but  one  God,  the  Father,  ofiohom  are  All  Things, 
AND  we  in  Him.' — 1  Cor  viii.  6. 

'Have  we  not  All  One  Father  ?  Hath  not  One  God 
Created  us  V — Mai.  ii.  10.  'We  have  One  Father,  even 
God.' — John  viii.  41.  'One  is  your  Master,  and  All  Ye 
are  Brethren.^  Thus  strongly,  in  connection  with  the  sen- 
tence 'the  whole  Family  in  heaven  and  inearth,'— Eph. 
iii.  15,  do  we  establish  the  doctrines  of  the  Universal  Pa- 
ternity of  God,  and  the  One  Brotherhood  of  His  Creatures. 
'Even  some  of  the  heathen  poets  have  truly  said.  We  are 
also  His  Offspring,  [Off-sprung.]  Then  w^e  are  [all]  the 
Off- Sprung  of  God.'— Acts.  xvii.  27-29.  'Go  to  my  Breth- 
ren, [Jesus  taught  that  we  are  all  neighbors  and  brethren,— 
Mat.  vii.  3;  Luke  xvii.  3  ;  x.  27-37  ;  Rom.  xiv.  10;  1 
John  iii.  10-21,  &c.]  and  say  unto  them,  that  I  ascend  unto 
my  Father  and  Your  Father,  and  to  my  God  and  Your 
God:— John  xx.  17. 

"What  though  his  erring  feet, 
Have  stumbled  in  the  way. 
And  in  some  thoughtless  hour, 

He  has  been  led  astray  ? 
The  great  Creator's  seal, 

Upon  his  brow  is  set, 
And  fallen  though  he  be. 

He  is  thy  Brother  yet." — Bufford. 

He  is  'the  Father  of  Spirits.' — Heb.  xii.  9.  'Behold, 
All  Souls  are  Mine,  saith  the  Lord.' — Ezek.  xviii.  4. — 
'None  is  able  to  pluck  them  out  of  my  Father's  hands.' 

'0  Lord,  Thou  art  our  Father  ;  we  are  the  clay,  and 
Thou  our  Potter;  and  we  are  All  the  Work  of  Thy  hands.' 
— Isa.  Ixiv.  8.     'Doubtless  Thou   art   our  Father,   though 


REASONS    FOR   OUR    HOPE. 

Abraham  be  ignorant  of  us,  and  Israel  acknowledge  us  not. 
Thou,  O  Lord,  art  our  Father,  our  Redeemer.' — Isa.  Ixiii. 
16. 

'Thou  art  my  God,  my  Father,  the  Rock  of  my  Salva- 
tion.'— Ps.  Ixxxix.  26, 

'Thou  hast  been  my  help  ;  leave  me  not,  neither  Forsake 
me,  O  God  of  my  Salvation.  When  my  father  and  my 
mother  forsake  me,  the  Lord  will  take  me  up.' — Ps.  xxvii. 
9,  10.     'A  woman  »zay  forget  her  suckling  child, — yet,'  &c. 

'A  Father  of  the  fatherless,  and  a  Judge  of  the  widows, 
is  God  in  His  holy  habitation.' — Ps.  Ixviii.  5. 

'As  a  man  chasleneth  his  son,  so  the  Lord  thy  God  chas' 
teneth  thee.'' — Deut.  viii.  5;  Prov.  iii.  11,  'Like  as  a  Fa- 
ther pitieth  his  children,  so  the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear 
him.  For  He  k7ioweth  our  frame,  He  remember  eth  that  we 
are  dust,'' — Ps.  ciii.  14. 

'Your  Heavenly  Father  knoweth  xohat  things  ye  have 
Need  of — Mat.  vi.  8.  'If  ye,  then,  being  evil,  know  how 
to  give  good  gifts  unto  yotcr  children,  how  much  more  shall 
your  Father  ivhich  is  i?i  Heaven.'— huke  xi.  13, 

'It  shall  come  to  pass,  in  the  place  where  it  was  said  unto 
them,  Ye  are  7iot  My  People,  there  it  shall  be  said  unto 
them,  '  Ye  are  the  Sons  of  the  Living  God.  The  children 
of  Judah  and  the  children  of  Israel  shall  be  gathered  together, 
and  appoint  themselves  One  Head.' — Hos,  i.  10.  ^The 
Creation  shall  be  delivered  from  the  Bondage  of  Corruption, 
into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  [adopted,  sanctified,']  chil- 
dren OF  God.' — Rom.  viii.  21. 

'A  son  honoureth  his  father,  and  a  servant  his  master.  If 
I,  then,  be  a  Father,  [ayid  be  eternally  disobeyed  and  con- 
temned of  My  Children,']  where  is  Mine  Honour?  saith  the 
Lord  of  hosts.' — Mai.  i.  6. 

"Nor  He  content 
Witli  one  exertion  of  creative  power 
His  Goodness  to  reveal, — thro'  every  age, 
Thro'  every  moment  of  the  tract  of  time, 
His  Parent-hand  with  ever  new  increase, 
Of  happiness  and  virtue,  hath  adorned 
The  vast  terrestrial  frame.     His  Father-love 
From  the  mute  shell-fish  gasping  on  the  shore, 


240  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

From  men  lo  angele,  to  celestial  mind?, 

Forever  leads  the   Generiitions  on 

To  hii^her  scene.i  of  being ;  wliiie  supplied 

Frnrii  day  to  day  with  His  enlivening  breath, 

Inferior  orders  in  succession  rise. 

To  Jill  the  void  telou:.'" — Akekside. 


PROPOSITION   FORTY-SIXTH. 

As  the  Universal  GOVERNOR  *  God  loill  Ultimately 
Triumph  over  All  Evil. 

"Thy  thoughts 
Are  far  above  the  star  dust  of  the  worlds, 
Yet  o'er  the  meanest  atom  reign 'st  Thou 
Omnipotent,  as  o'er  the  Universe  !" — Festus, 

EVIDENCES. 

'Thine,  0  Lord,  is  the  Greatness,  and  the  Power,  and 
the  Glory,  and  the  Victory,  and  the  Majesty:  for  All  that 
is  in  the  heaven  and  in  the  earth  is  Thine.  Thine  is  the 
Kingdom,  O  Lord,  and  Thou  art  exalted  as  Head  above  All. 
Both  riches  and  honour  come  of  Thee,  and  Thou  Reignest 
over  All  ;  and  in  Thine  hand  is  Power  and  Might,  and  in 
Thine  hand  it  is  to  make  Great,  and  to  give  Strength  unto 
All.'— 1  Chron.  xxix.  11,  12. 

'The  God  of  heaven  shall  set  up  a  Kingdom,  which  shall 
never  be  destroyed  ;  and  the  Kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to 
other  people,  but  it  shall  break  in  pieces  and  Consume  All 
these  kingdoms,  and  it  shall  stand  forever.'— Dan  ii.  44. 

'The  Lord  hath  prepared  His  throne  in  the  heavens.  His 
Kingdom  Ruleth  over  All.  -  -  Bless  the  Lord,  All  His 
Works,  in  All  places  of  His  Domi7iio7i.'—7s.  ciii.  19,  22. 

'The  Kingdom  of  the  Most  High  is  an  Everlasting  King- 
dom, and  All  Domi7iions  shall  Serve  and  Obey  Him.^— Dan. 
vii.  27. 


The  argument  of  this  Proposition  is  continiioiis  of  that  general  puhject, 
The  Government  and  Finnl  Triumph  of  Chrjst''s  Kingdom,  which  is  embra- 
ced in  Prn|)..sitions  XVIII.,  XIX.,  and  XXXVII.  The  inquiring  read- 
er by  referring  to  tlie  words  Kingdom,  Throne,  Reign,  Rule, 
JoDGMENT,  &c.,  in  Cruden's  Concordance,  will  find  quite  a  number  of 
interesting  passages  relating  to  this  important  theme  of  Revelation,  which 
we  have  not  room  to  give  place  to. 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  j_241 

'Behold,  a  King  shall  Reign  in  Righteousness,  and  prin- 
ces shall  Rule  in  Judgment.  A  Man  [Christ]  shall  be  as 
a  Hiding-Piace  from  the  wind,  and  a  Covert  from  the  tem- 
pest ;  as  Rivers  of  Water  in  a  Dry  plaqe,  as  the  shadow  of 
a  Great  Rock  in  a  weary  land.  -  -  The  heart  of  the  rash 
shall  unierstami  Knowledge,  and  the  tongue  of  the  stam- 
merer shall  be  ready  to  speak  plainly. '—Isa.  xxxii.  1--4. 

'Behold,  a  King  shall  Reign  and  prosper,  and  shall  exe- 
cute Judgment  and  Justice  in  the  Earth.  In  his  days  shall 
Judah  be  Saved,  and  Israel  shall  dwell  safely ;  and  this  is 
the  name  whereby  he  shall  be  called.  The  Lord  OUR 
RighteoitsJiess.'--'ier.  xxiii.  5,  6.  'For  AS  SIN  hath  Reign- 
ed unto  death,  even  so  shall  Grace  REIGN",  through 
Righteousness,  unto  eternal  life,  by  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.' 
'By  the  Righteousness  of  One,  the  Free  Gift  came  upon 
All  Men  unto  Justification  of  Life.'— Rom.  v.  21,  18. 

'Out  of  thee  shall  he  come  forth  unto  Me,  that  is  to  be 
Ruler  in  Israel ;  whose  goings  forth  have  been  from  of  Old, 
from  Everlasting.  -  -  And  he  shall  stand  and  feed  the  peo- 
ple in  the  Strength  of  the  Lord,  in  the  Majesty  of  the  name 
of  the  Lord  his  God  ;  and  they  shall  abide  ;  for  noio  shall 
he  be  Great  unto  the  Ends  of  the  Earth.  And  this  Man 
shall  be  our  Peace.' — Micah  v.  2--5. 

'Of  the  increase  of  his  Government  and  Peace  there  shall 
be  no  end,  upon  the  throne  of  David,  and  upon  his  King- 
dom to  order  it,  and  to  establish  it  with  Judgment  and  with 
Justice  from  henceforth  even  forever.  The  Zeal  of  the 
Lord  of  hosts  will  Perform  this.'— Isa.  ix.  7. 

'He  shall  build  the  Temple  of  the  Lord  ;  and  He  shall 
bear  the  Glory,  and  sit  and  Rule  upon  his  Throne  ;  and  he 
shall  be  a  Priest  upon  hi?  Throne  ;  and  the  Counsel  of 
Peace  shall  be  between  them  both.  -  -  And  they  that  are 
FAR  OFF  shall  come  and  build  in  the  Temple  of  the  Lord.' — 
Zech.  vi.  13-15.  'Christ,  the  Head  of  All  Things,'  'of 
Every  Man,'  and  'the  chief  Corner-Stone,— in  whom  All 
the  Building,  fitly  framed  together,  groweth  unto  a  Holy 
Temple  in  the  Lord.' — Eph.  ii.  21. 

'Let  us  come  near  together  to  Judgment.  Who  raised 
up  the  Righteous  Man  from  the  East,  [Messiah,]   gave  the 


242  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

Nations  unto  him,  and  made  him  Rule  over  kings  ?  Who 
hath  wrought  and  done  it,  calling  the  Generations  from  the 
Beginning  ?  I,  the  Lord,  the  First,  and  with  the  Last ;  I 
am  He.  -  -  even  the  Ends  of  the  Earth  saw  it,  drew  near, 
and  came.' — Isa.  xli.  1—5. 

'The  Lord  Reigneth,  He  is  clothed  with  Majesty  ;  the 
Lord  is  clothed  with  strength,  and  hath  girded  himself;  tfie 
World  also  is  established,  that  it  cannot  be  moved.  Thy 
Throne  is  established  of  Old,  &;c.,  Thy  testimonies  are  very 
ftire.' — Ps.  xciii. 

'All  the  Ends  of  the  World  shall  remember  and  turn  unto 
the  Lord,  and  All  the  Kindreds  of  the  Nations  shall  worship 
before  Thee.  For  the  Kingdom  is  the  Lord's,  and  He  is 
the  Governor  among  the  Nations.' — Ps.  xxii.  29,  30. 

'All  Thy  Works  shall  Praise  Thee,  O  Lord,  and  Thy 
saints  shall  Bless  Thee.  They  shall  speak  of  the  Glory  of 
Thy  Kingdom,  and  talk  of  Thy  Power  ;  to  make  known  to 
the  sons  of  men  His  mighty  Acts,  and  the  Glorious  Majesty 
of  His  Kingdom.  Thy  Kingdom  is  an  Everlasting  King- 
dom, and  Thy  Dominion  extendeth  over  All  Generations. 
-  -  Let  All  Flesh  Bless  His  holy  Name  forever  and  ever.' 
— Ps.  cxlv.  11--2L     'Thy  Kingdom  Come.' — Mat.  vi.  13. 

'Then  comelh  the  End,  when  he  shall  have  delivered  up 
the  Kingdom  to  God,  even  the  Father ;  when  he  shall  have 
put  down  All  rule,  and  All  authority  and  Power.  For  he 
must  Reign,  till  he  hath  put  All  Enemies  under  his  feet.— 
The  Last  Enemy  shall  be  Destroyed,  Death.  For  He  hath 
put  All  Things  under  his  feet.  (But  when  He  saith  All 
Things  are  put  under  him,  it  is  obvious  that  He  is  excepted 
which  did  put  All  Things  under  him.)  And  when  All 
Things  shall  be  Subdued  unto  him,  then  shall  the  Son  also 
himself  be  subject  unto  Him  that  did  put  All  Things  under 
him,  THAT  God  may  be  All  in  All.' — 1  Cor.  xv.  24-28. 

'0  Lord  God  of  Israel,  Thou  art  the  God,  even  Thou 
alone,  of  All  the  Kingdoms  of  the  Earth  ;  Thou  hast  made 
heaven  and  earth.' — 2  Kings  xix.  15. 

'O  Lord  God  of  our  Fathers,  art  not  Thou  God  in  heaven  ? 
and  Rulest  not  Thou  over  All  the   Kingdoms  of  the  Hea- 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  243 

then  ?  And  hi  Thy  hand  is  there  not  Power  and  Might, 
so  that  None  is  able  to  withstand  Thee  ?' — 2  Chron.  xx.  6. 

'Come  ye  near  unto  Me,  hear  ye  this  !  I  have  not  spo- 
ken in  secret  from  the  beginning  ;  from  the  time  that  it  was 
there,  am  I.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  thy  Redeemer,  the  Holy- 
One  of  Israel,  lam  the  Lord  thy  God,  lohich  Teachcth  thee 
to  Profit,  which  leadeth  thee  by  the  way  that  thou  should'st 
go.^ — Isa.  xlviii.  16,  17. 

'Thou  shalt  fear  thy  God  ;  for  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 
Wherefore,  Ye  shall  do  My  Statutes,  and  Keep  My  Judg- 
ments, and  Do  them-'—hev.  xxv.  17,  18. 

'I  will  not  execute  the  fierceness  of  Mine  anger,  I  will  not 
return  to  destroy  Ephraim:  for  I  am  God,  and  not  Man, 
the  Holy  One  in  the  midst  of  Thee.'— Hos.  xi.  9' 

'God  is  Great,  and  Desplseth  not  Any.'' — Job  xxxvi.  5. 

'0  Lord  God  of  hosts,  who  is  a  Strong  Lord  like  unto 
Thee  ?  or  to  Thy  Faithfulness  round  about  Thee?  Thou 
Rulest  the  Raging  Seas  j  when  the  waves  thereof  rise,  Thou 
stillest  them.  -  •  Thou  confoundest  Thine  Enemies  with  a 
Strong  arm.  The  heavens  are  Thine,  the  earth  also  is 
Thine  ;  the  World,  and  the  Fulness  thereof,  Thou  hast 
founded  them,'— Ps  Ixxxix,  8--11. 

'The  Lord  is  our  Judge, — Lawgiver, — King:  [therefore] 
He  will  Save  Us.^ — Isa.  xxxiii.  22. 

'I  am  the  Lord,  that  is  MY  name  ;  and  My  Glory  will  I 
not  give  to  Another.^ — Isa.  xlii.  8. 

"Ere  wit  oblique  had  broke  that  steady  light, 
Man  like  his  Maker,  saw  that  all  was  right, 
*  *  » 

And  own'd  a  Father,  when  he  own'd  a  God. 

Love  all  the  faith  and  all  ih'  allesiance  then. 

For  nature  knew  no  risrht  divine  in  men. 

No  dread  had  they  of  God,  but  understood, 

A  Sovereign  Being,  but  a  Sovereign  Good." 

"To  Hitn  no  high,  no  low,  no  great,  no  small. 

He  fills.  He  bounds,  connects,  and  equals  All." — Pope. 


244  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 


PROPOSITION  FORTY-SEVENTH. 

Through  the  Redeemer  Jesus,  All  Men  have  an  Interest 
in,  and  shall  Finally  obtain  Saloation  from  the  Lord, 
throu<rh  His  Relations  of  PHYSICIAN,  REFINER, 
and  PURIFIER  to  the  Souls  of  His  Creatures. 

I.  Promises  which   Respect    the  Lord  in  the  Office  of 
Physician. 

'la  tlicre  no  balm  in  Gileud  ?  Is  there  no  Physician  there  ^  Why 
tlien  is  not  tlie  health  of  the  lianghier  of  My  people  Recovered  V — Jer. 
viii.  22. 

'The  Lord  hath  laid  upon  him  the  iniquity  of  us  ALL, 
and  by  his  sinpesiveare  Healed.' — Isa.  liii.  5. 

'He  hath  torn,  and  He  icill  heal  us ;  He  hath  smitten, 
and  He  will  bind  tcs  wp.'' — Hos.  vi.  1. 

'And  the  leaves  of  the  Tree  [of  Life,]  were  for  the  Heal- 
ing OF  THE  Nations.  And  there  shall  be  no  more  curse.' 
— Rev.  xxi.  2,  3. 

'O  my  soul,  the  Lord  Forgiveth  all  thine  iniquities,  a.nd 
Healeth  All  thy  Diseases' — Ps.  ciii.  2,  3. 

'Jesus  went  about  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom, 
Healing  all  manner  of  Sickness,  and  all  manner  of  Dis- 
eases.'— Mat.  X.  1 ;  iv.  23.  ^ Every  Sickness,  and  Every 
Disease.' — ix.  35.  'Great  multitudes  followed  him,  and  he 
Healed  them  All.' — xii.  25.  He  did  not  stop  to  inquire 
whether  they  had  been  '■converted,'  but  finding  the  diseased 
and  the  afflicted,  removed  their  sufferings  without  reward 
or  distinction.  Neither  did  he  avoid  any  on  account  of  the 
protractedness  or  malignancy  of  their  diseases,  but  minister- 
ed to  all  according  to  their  needs,  and  consequently  with 
more  power  to  those  who  needed  most.  And  is  not  Sin  the 
disease  of  the  sold, — sorroio  of  the  spirit, — error  of  the 
mind  ?  Are  not  All  Men  more  or  less  in  need  of  a  Physi- 
cian for  the  great  catalogue  of  spiritual  evils  ?  Is  not  Jesus 
the  Great,  the  God-commissioned  Physician  of  Souls?  Is 
not  his  compassion  deeper  in  proportion  to  the  fearfulness 
of  the  evil,  and  his  skill  and  power  superior   to    the   worst 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  245 

evils  and  all  the  evils  in  the  universe  ?  Was  not  the  shed- 
ding of  his  blood  for  aZZ  sin  ?  Then  can  we  remain  sinful 
forever,  or  is  he  a  respector  of  persons  ?  Are  not  his  nu- 
merous and  marvellous  acts  of  physical  healing  while  on 
earth,  typical  of  his  mighty  power  over  our  souls,  and  over 
sin,  to  destroy  it,  in  the  next  world  ?  and  of  his  impartiality 
also,  in  its  exercise? 

'For  the  iniquity  of  his  covetousness  was  I  wroth  and 
Smote  him  ;  -  -  I  have  seen  his  ways,  aiid  I  wiH  Heal  him. 
I  will  lead  him  also,  and  restore  Comforts  unto  him,  and  to 
his  mourners.  I  create  the  fruit  of  the  lips  ;  Peace,  Peace 
to  him  that  is  Afar-Off,  and  to  him  that  is  Near,  saith  the 
Lord.     And  I  will  Heal  him.^ — Isa.    Ivii.   17-19. 

'/  laill  Heal  their  backsliding,  I  will  love  them  freely  ;  for 
Mine  anger  is  turned  away.' — Hos,  xiv.  4. 

'I  will  Restore  health  unto  thee,  and  I  will  Heal  thee  of 
thy  wounds,  saith  the  Lord,  because  they  called  thee  Out- 
cast.'— Jer.  XXX.  17. 

'Behold,  I  will  bring  it  Health  and  Cure,  and  Iioill  Cure 
them,  and  will  reveal  unto  them  the  Abundance  of  Peace 
and  Truth,  -  -  and  I  will  Cleanse  them  from  All  their  Iniq- 
uity, whereby  thejr  have  sinned  against  Me.' — Jer.  xxviii. 
6-9. 

'The  inhabitant  shall  not  say,  I  am  Sick;  the  people  that 
dwell  therein  shall  be  Forgiven  their  Iniquity.' — Isa.  xxxiii. 
24. 

'■Heal  me,  O  Lord,  and  I  shall  be  healed;  Save  me,  and 
I  shall  be  saved,  for  Thou  art  my  Praise.' — Jer.  xvii.  14. 

II.    Promises    concerning  the  Lord  as  Refiner. 

'Every  One  shall  be  Salted  [Purified]  ivith  Fire.' — Mark 
ix.  49.     'Our  God  is  a  Consuming  Fire.' — Heb.  xii.  29, 

'I  will  turn  My  hand  upon  thee,  and  purely  Purge  away 
thy  Dross,  and  take  away  all  thy  tin.' — Isa.  i.  25. 

'But  who  may  abide  the  Day  of  his  Coming?  and  who 
shall  stand  when  he  Appeareth?  For  he  is  like  a  Refi- 
ner's Fire,  and  like  Fuller's  Soap.     And  he  shall  sit,  as 

15 


246  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

a  Refiner  and  Ptirifier  of  Silver,  and  he  shall  Purify  the 
Sons  of  Levi,  and  Purge  them  as  gold  and  silver.' — Mai. 
iii.  2,  3. 

'Every  Man's  work  shall  be  made  manifest ;  for  the  Day 
shall  declare  it,  because  it  shall  be  revealed  by  Fire  :  and 
the  Fire  shall  Try  Every  Mail's  work,  of  what  sort  it  is. 
If  any  man's  work  shall  abide,  which  he  hath  built  thereup- 
on, he  shall  receive  a  reward.  If  any  man's  work  shall  be 
burned,  he*|hall  sufier  loss  :  but  he  himself  shall  be  Sa- 
ved, yet  so  as  by  fire.' — 1  Cor.  iii.  13—15. 

The  term  Fire  is  highly  and  poetically  emblematical  of 
the  power  and  tendency  of  God's  providential  afflictions,  to 
humble,  subdue,  and  melt  the  stubborn  and  disobedient. 
Both  Fire  and  Salt  are  well-known,  and  very  effective  Pu- 
rifiers, refining,  preserving,  and  cleansing  those  things 
which  are  able  to  endure  them.  The  former  especially,  is 
the  great  agent  by  which  all  metals  are  separated  from  their 
dross,  and  prepared  for  the  use  for  which  they  were  design- 
ed. And  let  it  be  well  observed,  that  the  tire  only  con- 
sumes the  dross,  and  brings  out  the  ^oZ^  pure  and  unharmed 
from  its  ordeal.  Now,  man,  in  this  lower  life,  is  created 
a  compound  of  spirit  and  earth,  as  the  ore  in  the  mine  is 
created  of  the  precious  gold,  and  the  cumbrous,  worthless 
dross.  The  spirit,  which  is  of  God,  and  partakes  of  His 
nature,  has  still  at  the  germ  the  preciousness  of  its  Maker's 
image,  however  completely  its  celestial  value  and  hidden 
capabilities  may  be  obscured  by  its  rough  and  cumbersome 
envelopment  of  earthiness, — as  the  treasure  which  the  bulky 
rock  conceals  is  not  ot  itself  the  less  valuable  for  its  con- 
glomeration with  the  base  elements  in  which  it  is  imbedded. 
And  as  the  precious  metal  is  designed  for  uses  higher  than 
its  primary  condition,  and  must  first  pass  the  fiery  crucible 
of  the  refiner,  so  also  is  the  spirit  of  man  designed  for  nobler 
purposes  than  this  life  supplies;  and  the  vicissitudinous  ex- 
periences which  God  ordains  for  all,  is  the  furnace  through 
which  all  the  'wood,  hay,  stubble,'  and  'chaflT'  shall  be  'burnt 
up,'  of  which  'He  shall  leave  them  neither  root  nor  branch,' 
until  finally  the  whole  kindred  creation   shall  come   forth 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  247 

from  the  resistless,  'unquenchable'  conflagration  of  the  Spi- 
rit of  God,  'as  silver  purified  seven  limes.' 

'Every  thing  that  may  abide  the  Fire,  ye  shall  make  go 
through  the  fire,  and  it  shall  he  Clean.  Nevertheless,  it 
shall  be  Purified  with  the  water  of  separation  ;  and  all  that 
abideth  not  the  Fire,  ye  shall  make  go  through  Water.' — 
Numb.  XXX.  23. 

'Take  away  the  dross  from  the  silver,  and  there  shall 
come  forth  a  vessel  for  the  finer.  Take  away_  Wickedness 
from  before  the  King,  and  His  Throne  shall  be  established 
in  Righteousness.' — Prov.  xxv.  4,  5. 

'And  I  will  bring  the  third  part  through  the  Fire,  and  will 
Refine  them  as  silver  is  Refined,  and  will  Try  them  as 
gold  is  Tried  :  then  shall  they  Call  on  My  name,  and  I  will 
hear  them.  I  will  say.  It  is  My  people,  and  they  shall  say, 
The  Lord  is  my  God.' — Zech.  xiii.  9. 

'Behold,  I  have  Refined  thee,  but  not  as  silver;  I  have 
chosen  thee  in  the  Furnace  of  Affliction.  For  Mine  own 
sake,  for  Mine  ovvn  sake,  will  I  do  it.  For  how  should  My 
Name  be  polluted  ?  And  I  will  not  give  My  Glory  to  an- 
other.'— Isa.  xlviii.  10,  11. 

'Righteousness  and  Judgment  are  the  habitation  of  His 
Throne ;  a  Fire  goeth  before  Him,  ayid  Burneth  His  en- 
emies ro7ind  about.  His  lightnings  enlightened  the 
World.  -  -  The  heavens  declare  His  Righteousness,  and 
All  the  People  see  His  Glory.' — Ps.  xcvii.  2-6. 

'I  will  even  make  the  pile  for  fire  great.  Heap  on  wood, 
kindle  the  fire,  consume  the  flesh  and  spice  it  well,  and  let 
the  bones  be  burned.  Then  set  it  empty  upon  the  coals 
thereof,  that  the  brass  of  it  may  be  hot,  and  may  burn,  and 
that  the  filthiness  of  it  may  be  molten  in  it,  that  the  sctim  of 
it  may  be  Consumed  ;  -  -and  thou  shalt  be  Purged  from  thy 
Filthiness  when  I  have  caused  My  Fury  to  rest  upon  thee.' 
— Ezek.  xxiv.  10-13. 

'They  shall  lift  up  their  voice,  they  shall  sing  for  the  Maj- 
esty of  the  Lord,  they  shall  cry  aloud  from  the  Sea. — 
Wherefore,  Glorify  ye  the  Lord  in  the  Fires.' — Isa.  xxiv.  15. 

'Behold,!  go  forward,  but  He  is    not  there;     and  back- 


248  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

ward,  yet  I  cannot  perceive  Him  ;  on  the  left  hand  where 
He  doth  work,  but  I  cannot  behold  Him  ;  and  on  the  right 
hand  also  He  hideth  himself  that  I  cannot  see  him.  But 
He  knowelh  the  way  ihat  I  take  ;  lohen  He  hath  Tried  me, 
I  shall  come  forth  as  gold.' — Job  xxiii.  8--10. 

'We  have  heard  a  voice  of  trembling,  of  fear,  and  not  of 
Peace.  Ask  ye  now,  and  see  whether  a  man  doth  travail 
with  child  ?  wherefore  do  I  see  every  man  with  his  hands 
on  his  loins,  as  a  woman  in  travail,  and  All  Faces  turned  to 
paleness  ?  Alas  !  for  that  day  is  great,  so  that  none  is  like 
it ;  it  is  even  the  time  of  Jacob's  trouble.  But  he  shall  be 
Saved  out  of  it.'' — Jer.  xxx.  5-7. 

'He  Ruleth  by  His  Power  forever  ;  His  eyes  behold  the 
Nations  ;  the  Rebellious  shall  be  not  able  to  exert  them- 
selves. -  -  For  thou,  O  God  hast  proved  us ;  thou  hast  tried 
us  as  silver  is  tried.  Thou  broughtest  us  into  the  net; 
Thou  laidest  affliction  upon  our  loins.  -  -  We  went  through 
Fire  and  through  Water,  but  Thou  broughtest  us  out  into 
a  wealth?/  Place.' — Ps.  Ixvi.  7--12. 

'Fear  not ;  for  I  have  Redeemed  thee.  I  have  called  thee 
by  thy  name,  thou  art  Mine.  When  thou  passest  through 
the  "Waters,  I  will  be  with  thee  ;  and  through  the  Rivers, 
they  shall  not  overflow  thee.  When  thou  icalkest  through 
the  Fire,  thou  shah  not  be  burned,  neither  shall  the  flame 
kindle  upon  thee.  For  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel,  thy  Saviour.' — Isa.  xliii.  1--3. 

"Then  shall  ihey  meet  tlie  Father,  and  remain 

In  the  eternal  presence  ,-    God  in  Christ 

Shall  ble=s  All   Spirits    overflowinaly. 

Then  shall  tiiey  render  back  to  Ilim  the  love 

Wliicli  13  His  own,  none  el.-e  is  worthy  Him, 

The  world  were  poor  in  thanks,  tho'  every  soul. 

Were  to  do  nought  bill  breathe  them,  every  blade 

Of  grass,  and  every  atomie  of  earth. 

To  utter  it  like  dew.     His  ways  aie  plain, 

Only  in  His  own  light.     And  this  great  day 

Unveils  all  natures,  laws,  and  miracles. 

Tlie  world's  incomprehensible  no  more. 

But  all  is  plain  as  new-born  starry  spheres." — Festus. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  249 

III.    Promises  concerning  the  Lord  as  Purifier. 

'Unto  Thee  shall  All  Flesh  Come.  Iniquities  prevail 
against  me  ;  hut  as  for  our  transgressions,  Thou  shalt 
Purge  them  away.'' — Ps.  Ixv.  2,3. 

'Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  white  as 
SNOW  ;  though  they  be  rtd  like  Crimsoji,  they  shall  be  as 
WOOL.'— Isa.  i.  IS. 

'When  he  had  by  himself  P«r^ei  our  Sins,  he  sat  down 
on  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty  on  high.' — Heb.  i.  3. 

'Him  that  loved  us,  and  Washed  us  from  our  Sins  in  his 
own  blood.'— Rev.  i.  5. 

'The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son,  Cleanscth  us  from 
All  Sin:— I  John  i.  7. 

'The  Avrath  of  God  is  revealed  from  heaven  against  All 
TJnrighteousness  and  Ungodliness  of  men.' — Rom.  i.  18. 
The  object  of  the  Lord's  Punishments  upon  the  wicked,  is 
the  destruction  of  their  Sins,  their  'unrighteousness  and 
ungodliness,'  and  not  the  injury  of  their  souls. 

'Hath  He  smitten  him,  as  He  smote  those  that  smote  him  ? 
or  is  he  slain  according  to  the  slaughter  of  them  that  are- 
saved  by  Him  ?  In  measure  when  Thou  sendest  it  forth. 
Thou  wilt  be  careful  with  it.  He  stayeth  His  rough 
wind  in  the  Day  of  His  east  wind.  By  this,  therefore,  .shall 
the  Iniquity  of  Jacob  be  Purged;  and  this  is  all  the  fruit 
[of  the  whirlwinds  of  God's  Punishments,]  to  take  aioay 
his  Sins.' — Isa.  xxix.  7-9. 


"Redeeming  Spirit,  0  behold, 

A  world  by  sin  destroy'd  ! 
Creatinu;  Spirit,  as  of  old, — 

Move  o'er  the  formless  void  ! 
Give  Thou  the  word,  the  healing;  sound, 

Shall  quell  the  deadly  strife. 
And  all  the  earth  like  Eden  crown'd, 

Shall  rear  the  tree  of  life. 
If  rang  the  morning  stars  for  joy, 

When  nature  rose  to  view. 
What  strains  will  angel  harps  employ, 

When  Thou  dost  All  renew  !" 


250  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 


PROPOSITION    FORTY-EIGHTH. 

The  Ultimate  Redemption  of  All  Mankind,  is  Desigfiated 
by  the  Type  of'  The  First- Fruits,''  which  points  to  those 
who  are  chosen  in  this  world  through  Faith  to  Eternal 
Life,  THE  ELECT,  as  the  Earnest  and  Pledge  of 
the  Filial  Ingatheritig  of  All  Things  in  Christ. 

EVIDENCES. 

'The  Feast  of  the  Harvest,  the  First-Fruits  of  thy  labors 
which  thou  hast  sown  in  thy  field  ;  and  the  Feast  of  In- 
gathering, which  is  in  the  End  of  the  Year,  when  thou  hast 
Gathered  in  (the  Residue  of)  thy  labors  out  of  thy  field.' — 
Ex.  xxii.  16.  'Thou  shalt  observe  the  Feast  of  weeks,  of 
the  First-fruits  of  wheat  harvest,  and  the  Feast  of  Ingath- 
ering at  the  Year's  End.'' — Ex.  xxxiv.  22.  Also  xxiiid 
Leviticus,  10-20,  and  Deut.  xviii.  4,  5. 

'If  the  First-Fruit  be  holy,  the  Lump  is  also  Holy  ;  if 
the  Root  be  holy,  so  also  are  the  branches.'' — Rom.  xi.  16. 
'The  Kingdom  of  God  is  like  leaven  which  a  woman  took 
and  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  till  the  Whole  was 
leavened.' — Luke  xiii.  21.  'A  Utile  leaven  leaveneth  the 
Whole  hump.'' — Gal.  v.  9.  [Please  read  here  the  2d  chap- 
ter of  Leviticus.]  'Now  also  the  axe  is  laid  unto  the  Root 
of  the  Trees.' — Mat.  iii.  10;  Luke  iii.  9.  'Thou  bearest 
not  the  Root,\i\x\.  the  Root  thee.' — Rom.  xi.  18.  'I  [Christ] 
am  the  Root  of  David.' — Rev.  xxii.  16.  [See  Parable  of 
the  Mustard-Tree. — Mark  iv.  31,  &c.]  'Thou  preparedst 
room  before  it,  and  didst  cause  it  to  take  deep  root,  and  it 
Filled  the  land  ;  the  hills  were  covered  with  the  shadow  of 
It,  and  the  boughs  thereof  were  like  the  goodly  cedars.— 
She  sent  out  her  boughs  into  the  Sea,  and  her  branches  un- 
to the  River.'— Ps.  Ixxx.  9-14.     Isa.  xl.  10  ;  liii.  2. 

'We,  \theElect^  \v\\\q\i\\?i\(i,  the  First-Fruits  of  the  Spir- 
it, groan  within  ourselves,  waiting  for  the  Adoption,  to  wit, 
the  Redemption  of  OUR  BODY,  ['the  Creation,'  the  Body 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  251 

of  Mankind,  of  which  Christ  is  'the  Head.']     Rom.  viii.  19. 

'Simeon  hath  declared  how  God  at  the  first  did  visit  the 
Gentiles,  to  take  out  a  People  for  His  Name,  -  -  to  Build 
again  the  ruins  thereof,  that  the  Residue  of  Men  might 
seek  after  the  Lord.' — Acts  xv.  14—16. 

'God  hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ, — by  Grace 
are  ye  saved, — and  hath  raised  us  up  together,  and  made  tis 
sit  together  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus,— That  in 
the  ages  to  come  He  might  show  the  Exceeding  Riches 
of  His  Grace,  through  His  kindness  toward  us  by  Jesus 
Christ.'— Eph.  ii.  4-7. 

'Who  is  the  Saviour  of  All  Men,  but  especially  of  those 
that  believe,'  {the  elect.]— I  Tim.  iv.  10. 

'AH  the  Kindreds  of  the  Earth  shall  be  Blessed.  But 
7into  You  first,  God  having  raised  up  his  Son  Jesus,  sent 
him  to  bless  you.'' — Acts  iii.  25,  26. 

'All  Things  are  of  God,  who  hath  reconciled  its  to  Him- 
self, and  hath  given  us  the  ministry  of  reconciliation,  to  wit, 
that  God  was  in  Christ  Reconciling  the  world  unto  Him- 
self.'—2  Cor.  V.  18,  19.     Col  i.  20-22,  to  same  purport. 

'Of  His  own  Will  begat  He  us  through  the  word  of  truth. 
that  We  shouldhea  kind  o/First-Fruits  of  His  Creatures,' 
[or.  Creation.] — Jas.  i.  18. 

'I  [Paul]  obtained  Mercy,  that  in  me  First,  Jesus  Christ 
might  show  forth  all  long-suffering,  -  -  for  a  Pattern  to  them 
which  should  hereafter  believe  on  him,  to  life  everlasting.' 
—1  Tim.  i.  16. 

'But  what  saith  the  answer  of  God  unto  him?— I  have 
reserved  to  Myself  seven-thousand  Men,  who  have  wo^  bow- 
ed the  knee  to  Baal.— Even  so,  then,  at  this  present  time, 
there  is  a  Kemnant  according  to  the  Election  of  Grace  ; 
and  if  by  Grace,  then  it  is  no  more  of  works.' — Rom.  xi. 
4-6. 

'So  the  Election  hath  obtained  it,  but  the  Rest  were  blind- 
ed.— But  have  they  stumbled  that  they  should  \irretrieva' 
bly]  fall?     God  forbid.'— Rom.  xi.  7,  11. 

'By  the  Son  of  God  ive  have  received  Grace  and  apostle- 
ship, /or  obedience  to  the  Faith  among  All  Nations,  for  his 
name.' — Rom.  i.  5. 


252  KEASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

'When  THE  First  came,  ihey  supposed  that  they  should 
receive  more :  but  they  likewise  received  Every  Man,  a 
penny.  And  when  they  received  it,  they  murmured  against 
the  Good  Man  of  the  House.— But  He  answered, — 1  will 
give  unto  the  Last  even  as  unto  thee.  Is  it  not  rightful 
for  Me  to  what  I  will  with  Mine  own  ?  Is  thine  eye  evil 
because  I  am  Good  ?  So  the  last  shall  be  [like]  the  First, 
and  the  First  [\i\ic]  ihe  last;  for  Many,  [the  Many,  the 
Mass,  Mankind, — Gr.j  are  Called,  Izit  Few  Chosen.'' — 
Mat.  XX.  10--16.     xxii.  14. 

'There  shall  be  a  handful  of  corn  in  the  earth  upon  the 
top  of  the  mountains;  the  Fruit  thereof  shall  shake  like 
Lebanon  ;— Men  shall  be  Blessed  in  him  ;  All  Natio7is 
shall  call  him  Blessed.'— Ps.  Ixxii.  16,  17. 

'We  [the  elect]  have  access  into  this  Grace  wherein  we 
stand,  and  Rejoice  in  Hope  of  the  [Complete]  Glory  of  God.' 
—Rom.  V.  2.     See  1S--21 ;  iii.  23,  24. 

'in  whom  ye  also  trusted  after  that  ye  heard  the  word  of 
truth,  the  Gospel  of  your  Salvation  ;  in  whom  also  after  ye 
believed,  ye  were  sealed  with  the  Holy  Spirit  of  Promise  ; 
which  is  the  Earnest  [the  token,  the  pledge,]  of  our  Inheri- 
tance, until  the  Redemption  o/tiie  Purchased  PoSbEssioN,' 
[namely,  Every  Man  of  the  Whole  World,  Heb.  ii.  9  ;  1 
John  ii."  2.]— Eph.  i.  4--14. 

'He  shall  cause  them  that  come  out  of  Jacob  to  take  root. 
Israel  shall  blossom  and  bud,  and  fill  the  face  of  the  World 
ivithfruit.'—lsa.  xxvii.  6. 

'Them  who  are  the  Called,  according  to  His  Purpose. 
For  whom  He  did  foreknow,  He  also  did  Predestinate  to  be 
conformed  to  the  image  of  His  Son,  [for  their  own  exclusive 
salvation  1]  that  he  might  Ic  the  Fikst-Born  among  the 
Many  Brethren,'  [the  Great  Mankind-Brotherhood.]  -Rom. 
viii.  28,  29. 

'These,  [the  144,000  elect,]  were  Redeemed  from  among 
men,  being  the  First-Fruits  unto  God  and  to  the  Lamb, 
and  in  their  mouth  was  found  no  guile  ;  for  they  are  with- 
out fault  before  the  throne  of  God.  And  I  saAV  another  an- 
gel [messenger]  fly  in  the  midst  ot  heaven  ['the  Christian 
Church,']  having  the  Everlasting  Glad  Tidings,  to  preach  un- 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  253 

to  them  thai  dwell  on  the  earth,  AND  to  Every  Nahon, 
and  Kindred,  and  To?i.gii.e,  and  People,  [whether  on  this 
earlh,  or  departed  from  it, — whether  those  that  existed  in 
the  present,  past,  or  future,]  sayings  with  a  mi<;hly  voice, — 
Fear  God,  and  give  Glury  to  Him :  for  the  hour  of  His 
Judgment  is  come  :  and  worship  Him  that  made  heaven, 
and  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters.' — Rev. 
xiv.  4--7. 

'Now  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead,  and  become  the 
First-Fruits  of  them  that  slept,'  [viz.  'All,'— 22d  verse.] 
—1  Cor.  XV.  20. 

'Every  man  in  his  own  order  ;^hrist  the  First-Fruits, 
afterward  they  that  are  Christ's,  [viz.  'All,'— John  xvii.  10.] 
at  his  coming.  Then  the  end,  when  All  shall  be  Sub- 
dued unto  him,  and  the  Last  Enemy,  death,  shall  be  Des- 
troyed.'— 1  Cor.  XV.  23-28.  We  understand  from  this  pas- 
sage, that  the  final  resurrection  of  all  men  in  Christ,  is  a 
progressioe  and  indiridual  work  after  death,  and  identical 
with  that  of  reconciling  the  Worldr--AU  Things  to  him- 
self. It  seems  plain  to  us  that  the  power  of  the  resurrection 
is  not  fully  wrought  upon  any  soul  until  it  has  attained  the" 
angelic,  the  heavenly,  the  Christ-like  image, — which  is 
but  gradually  assumed, — not  until  the  soul  has  become 
subject  unto  Christ,  until  it  become  his  characteristically, 
can  it  be  visibly  sensible  of  his  'coming,'— not  until  it  be- 
comes 'like  him,'  can  it  'see  him  at  his  appearing,'— it  must 
be  'AS  HE  IS,'  before  his  glory  can  be  'revealed.'  All  shall  at 
last  indeed  be  raised  in  Christ, — All  shall  be  subdued  unto 
him  ;  but  this  is  neither  an  instantaneous  nor  a  simultaneoxiz 
act,  but  a  protracted  and  progressive  one,  which  the  Great 
Judgment  of  the  Kingdom  is  even  now  carrying  onward. 

'He  saith  unto  Pharaoh,  Even  for  this  same  Purpose  have 
I  raised  thee  up,  that  I  might  show  My  power  in  thee,  and 
that  My  name  might  be  declared  throughout  All  the  Earth.' 
—Rom.  ix.  17. 

'The  Lord  thy  God  hath  chosen  thee  [the  Jews]  to  be  a 
Special  People  unto  himself,  above  all  people  that  are  upon 
the  face  of  the  earth.  Yet  the  Lord  did  not  set  His  love 
upon  yout  nor  Choose  you,  because  ye  were  more   in  num- 

P 


254  REASONS  FOR  OUH  HOPE. 

ber  than  any  people;  for  ye  were  the  fewest  of  All  people: 
But  b3cause  the  Lord  loved  you,  [but  not  to  their  own  ex- 
clusive glory,  ]and  because  He  loould  keep  the  Oath  which  He 
had  Sworn  unto  ijonr  fathers,''  [that  through  the  Promised 
Seed,  All  the  nations  and  families  of  the  earth  shall  be 
blessed.]  Deut.  vii.  6--8. 

The  .lews  were  chosen  from  among  all  the  nations  of  the 
jarth,  as  the  first-fruits  of  All  the  Nations  of  men.  The 
Apostles  and  Disciples  were  elected  as  the  first-fruits  of  the 
Church.  The  Church  is  for  the  good  of  the  icorld  at  large. 
The  Elect  believers  are  an  cnsample  of  the  final  unity  of 
faith  with  the  non-elect.  ff\\Q  ultimate  regeneration  of  this 
world  is  a  pledge  and  testunony  to  the  eventual  glorification 
oi  All  the  future  world.  And  finally,  the  election  of  the 
Only-Begotten  and  Exalted  Son  of  God  was  for  the  eternal 
Redemption  and  Blessedi.ess  oi  All  His  hitelli gent  Creation. 
fCol.  i.  15.  4-c.) 

"How  litilc  they  God's  counsels  comprehend, — 

The  Universal  Parent,  Guardian,  Friend  : 

Who,  forminiT  by  degrees  to  bliss.  Mankind, 

This  globe  our  sportive  nvrsery  assign'd. 

Scarce  any  ill  to  human  life  belongs. 

But  what  our  follies  cause,  or  mutual  wrongs  ; 

Or  if  Slime  stripes  from  Providence  we  feel. 

He  strikes  with  pity,  and  but  wounds  to  hea!."— Jjenyns. 


PROPOSITION   FORTY-NINTH. 

The  Highest  MORAL  PRECEPTS  of  Christianity  are 
not  only  Radically  at  loar  with  the  Partialist  views  of 
Divine  Justice,  hut  are  also  the  very  Bases  of  the  XJni- 
versalist  Philosophy,  and  irresistibly  Evident  of  its  Doc- 
trines. 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

'■Love  your  Enemies.'' — Mat.  v.  45.  Now  we  will  not  be- 
lieve that  God  has  ever  communicated  a  moral  command  to 
His  creatures,  inculcating  a  difl^erent  principle,  much  less  a 
directly  contrary  one,  to  the  spirit  by  which  He  himself  is 
ever  actuated,  in  the  administration  of  His   government.— 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  255 

Were  not  eternal  Goodness  and  Love  immutable  and  un- 
mixed attributes  of  His  own  niUure,  ibeii  would  those  prin- 
ciples never  be  necessary  or  profitable  to  man,  neither  could 
such  principles  in  the  form  of  universal  precepts,  ever  issue 
from  His  sovereign  throne.  The  lofty  standard  and  perfec- 
tion of  Goodness,  must  exist  with  God  alone  ;  and  the  pood- 
ness  which  His  precepts  involve  must  be  of  the  same  nature 
with  His  own.  Consequently,  goodness  in  man  is  the  same 
in  kind  with  that  of  God,  though  infinitely  dillerent  in  de- 
gree, and  any  actual  abuse  of  the  immutable  principles  of 
good  would  be  a  wrong  in  Him  as  well  as  in  man.  In  fact,, 
that  only  is  evil  which  is  contrary  to  God's  own  character  ; 
and  we  cannot  reasonably  believe  that  He  would  ever  pro- 
nounce a  particular  command  good,  and  its  disobedience  evil,. 
while  the  principle  had  no  foundation  in  His  own  Being. 

If  this  reasoning  be  just,  as  we  think  must  be  apparent  to 
every  reflecting  mind,  we  are  prepared  to  comprehend  the 
force  of  that  first  Divine  precept  we  have  mentioned,  'Love 
your  enemies,'  in  its  inconsistency  with  the  doctrine  ofVin- 
dictive  Justice,  and  harmony  with  that  of  JMerciful  Justice, 
when  the  precept  is  considered  as  one  that  reigns  over  and 
sways  the  counsels  of  Him  from  whom  it  emanated.  It 
seems  very  obvious,  that  if  the  deep,  eternal,  unchangeable 
love  of  God  really  embraces  those  even  who  seem  ^  to  be- 
the  enemies  of  Flis  name  and  holiness, — there  is  no  room, 
whatever  for  the  awful  idea  of  His  having  prepared  a  great 
world  of  unabating  miseries  for  their  souls,  in  the  after  life  t 
But  if  God  loves  his  enemies,  it  is  manifest  that,  however 
deeply  He  may  contemn  their  sins.  He  is  still  the  tender, 
solicitous  Parent  of  their  spirits,  who  with  ample  means  at 
His  command  for  the  total  abolishment  of  their  enmity,  will 
not  ceasa  the  intensity  of  His  Spirit's  striving,  until  they 
shall  come  trembling  with  humility,  and  melted  with  filial, 
confiding,  reciprocal  tenderness,  at  His  feet. 

We  might  introduce  here  several  Scriptural  proofs  to  the 
conclusion  at  which  we  above  arrived,  that  the  spirit  of 
God's  dealing  with  mankind  is  ever  consonant  with  the 
spirit  of  the  moral  commands  whic/li  He  has  dictated  as  the 
great  governing  principles  between  man  and  man.     In  con- 


256  KEASONb  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

nec.tion  with  the  divine  injunction,  'Love  your  enemies,  &c.* 
Jesus  added,  'Thai  ye  nnay  be  the  children  of,  |a  Greek  id- 
ioniic  periphrasis  for  that  ye  may  be  like,]  your  Father  which 
is  in  lieaven  ;  for  He  makelh  His  sun  to  rise  upon  the  evil 
and  upon  the  good,'  &c.  And  when  he  said,  *lf  ye  love 
them  which  love  you,  [merely,]  what  do  ye  more  than  pub- 
licans ?'  he  enforced  the  lesson  of  his  question  by  giving'  his 
hearers  lo  understand  that  the  Father's  love  was  not  circum- 
scribed by  lines  of  distinction,  in  these  words  :  'Be  ?/e  there- 
fore perfect,  even  as  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is 
perfect.'  The  apostle  likewise  con)manded,  that  we  should 
be  imitators  of  God  as  dear  children. — (Eph.  v.  1.)  Jesua, 
was  'the  munifestation  of  the  Father's  glory,  and  the  express 
image  of  His  person  ;'  and  the  example  of  Jesus  as  a  pat- 
tern is  frequently  exhil)ited  in  the  Epistles.  Folli  Christ 
and  St.  Paul  have  condemned  the  judging  of  those  who  dis- 
regTird  their  own  precepts.     Mat  vii.  3  ;    Rom.  ii.  1,  &:c, 

'■Bless  them  that  crime  you.'' — Mat,  v,  45.  'Cursing  for 
cursing'  can  constitute  no  legitimate  part  of  the  Christian's 
Creed,  any  more  than  it  can  of  his  practice.  Will  God  in- 
deed ultimately  confer  the  blessing  of  Hrs  ancient  Promise 
upon  those  even  who  take  His  holy  name  in  vain,  or  blas- 
phenie  it?  Assuredly  He  will  ;  for  it  is  promised  even  in 
the  precept  of  His  word  we  have  just  cited.  Witness  also 
the  glorioles  exemplification  of  this  precept  in  Jesus'  blessing' 
i]pon  those  who  cursed  and  crucified  him  r  'Father  forgive 
them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do.' — Luke  xxiii.  34. 

'Do  pood  to  them  that  liateyou.' — Luke  vi.  27.  So  does 
not  the  Lord  hate  those  w!io  hate  Him,  but  is  'kind  to  the 
unthankful  and  the  evil.'  His  Goodness  indeed  is  so  much 
greater  than  all  our  ingratitude,  that  He  will  not  only  des- 
troy all  our  hate  and  past  unmindfulness,  but  will  change 
them  to  endless  love  and  holiness. 

'Pray  for  thcvi  which  despitefvlly  use  you.' — Luke  vi.  28. 
If  we,  as  brethren,  should  be  anxious  and  pray  for  the  wel- 
fare of  our  persecutors,  how  much  more  shall  God,  as  Crea- 
tor and  Father,  be  solifitous  of,  and  act  for,  the  enlisjhten- 
ment  and  salvation  of  the  erroneous  and  the  uncharitable  ? 

^ If  thine  enemy  he  hungry ,  give  him  bread  to  eat  ;  and  if 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPK.  257 

he  be  thirsty  give  him  water  to  drink.'' — Rom.  xii.  20; — 
Prov.  XXV.  21.  It  is  not  the  disposition  of  God  either  to 
<rontirra  on  His  own  part  the  estrangement  and  enmity  of 
His  creatures,  or  to  j3e?-j9ei!7/rt;e  it ;  but  on  the  contrary,  to 
abolish  it,  and  to  reconcile  the  alienated  to  Himself.  And 
this  He  accomplishes  by  ministering-  with  more  liberal  hard 
to  the  greater  7iecessities  of  those  who  are  more  'out  of  the 
way.'  He  conquers  not  as  human  conquerors  do,  by  vio- 
lent means  and  vindictive,  but  to  gain  the  love  and  homasre, 
as  well  as  the  trophy,  of  His  captives.  This  is  the  noble 
nature  of  God's  Vengeance.  Whether  He  smite,  or  whether 
He  bless,  His  enemies,  it  is  to  reclaim.  'Tis  thus  that  He 
'heaps  coals  of  fire  upon  their  heads.' 

'■Not  rendering  evil  for  evil,  but  contrariwise  blessing." 
— 1  Pet.  iii.  9.  God  is  not  a  retaliative  and  vengeful  Being, 
that  He  will  increase  the  evils  of  His  universe  by  redoublinof 
those  of  His  creatures,  in  the  unsparing  exaction  of  ill  for  ill ; 
much  less  will  He  retort  infinite  and  endless  evil  for  finite 
and  momentary.  But  the  dealings  of  God  are  exactly  ^con- 
trariwise ;'  He  renders  not  only  good  for  evil,  but  infinite 
goodness  for  all  our  evils. 

''If  ye  lend  to  those  only  of  ivhom  ye  hope  to  receive,  ivhat 
do  ye  more  than  sinners?' — Luke  vi.  84.  The  Grace  of 
God  which  bringeth  salvation  is  not  merely  for  those  who 
may  do  anything  for  the  Lord  in  retnrnfor  it, — it  is  'not  of 
works,' — but  it  is  a  free  Gift  unto  All  men  ;  for  God  giveth 
not  merely  to  those  from  whotn  He  receiveth  as  much  again. 

'■Forgive  thy  brother  that  sinnest  against  the  not  7intil 
SEVEN  times,  but  until  seventy  tiivies  seven.' — Mat.  xviii. 
22.  This  precept  proves  that  the  Divine  Mercy  is  unlimi- 
ted to  persons,  or  times,  or  to  the  heinousness  or  number  of 
sins,  and  agrees  with  that  tenching  of  Jesus, — Mat.  xii.  31, 
T(which,  when  rendered  into  English  with  regard  to  the  pro- 
verbial Greek  idiom  which  the  passatre  contains,  reads  thus  :) 
'^All  manner  of  Sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  Forgiven  unto 
men  ;  though  the  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Spirit  shall 
scarcely  he  forgiven  unto  men.' 

'■Be  not  overcome  of  evil,  but  Overcome  evil  with  Good.'' — 
Bom.  xii.  14.     But,  will  God,  who  is  All-wise  and  mighty, 


REASOiNS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

be  eternally  overcome  to  a  dreadfully  vast  extent,  by  any 
Deific  Spirit  of  Evil,  and  a  mighty  empire  of  everlasting 
sin  and  sutierings  ?  No.  He  is 'Greater  than  All.'  He 
can  overcome  ail  evil  with  His  Goodness,  which  is  infinite 
and  associated  with  Omnipotence,  while  evil  is  finite  and 
subordinate. 

''If  a  man  he  overtaken  in  a  fault,  ye  lohich  are  spiritutd 
Restore  such  an  one  in  the  spirit  of  meekness.^ — Gal.  vi.  1. 
And  yet  there  are  those  who  believe  that  the  Creator  and 
Parent  of  men,  who  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost,  is  of 
so  contrary  a  spirit  to  that  of  this  injunction,  that  instead  of 
mercifully  Restoring  to  holiness,  those  who  become  entan- 
gled in  the  meshes  of  this  world, — involves  ihem  in  the  tor- 
ments of  a  region  of  inextri  -able  iniquity  and  despair. 

'Bless,  and  curse  not.'' — Rom.  xii.  14.  Such  a  precept 
could  never  have  been  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  if  it  were 
His  purpose  to  abandon  and  curse  with  endless  woes  myr- 
iads of  His  sinful  creatures.  Our  God  is  not  a  God  of 
Damnation,  but  of  Salvation. 

''If  ye  have  respect  to  persons,  ye  commit  sin,  and  are  con- 
victed by  the  law  as  transgressors.^ — James,  ii.  9.  There 
is  not  an  evidence  in  all  the  world,  nor  in  all  the  Scripturea 
that  the  Lord  is  so  Partial  a  Being  as  He  is  represented  by 
the  Calvistic  dogma  of  Election  and  Reprobation,  and  the 
Armininian  one  of  Particular  Regeneration. 

'Recompense  to  no  inan  evil  for  evil.'' — Rom.  xii.  17. 
And  yet,  will  Jehovah  expiate  the  evils  of  time  by  their  end- 
less perp-Huilv,  and  almost  infinite  aggrandizement? 

'L?^  not  Mercy  and  Truth  forsake  thee  ;  bind  them  upon 
the  tahlet  of  thine  heart.'' — Prov.  iii.  3.  If  the  Mercy  and 
Faithfulness  of  God  are  impartial  and  unchangeable.  He 
can  never  forsake  the  works  of  His  own  hands. 

'Avenge  not  yourselves.'' — Rom.  xii.  19.  God  is  not  a 
man,  that  He  should  require  the  ignoble  species  of 'satisfac- 
tion,' for  human  disobedience,  which  is  even  unseemly  in 
the  earthly  monarch,  and  which  is  more  fitting  for  the  ca- 
pricious tyrant  or  pugnacious  bully  ! 

'Rejoice  not  lohen  thine  enemy  falleth,  and  let  not  thy 
heart  be  s:lad  when  he  stumblelh.'' — Prov.  xxiv.  17.      This 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 


259 


passage  for  one  might  convince  us  that  God  never  could  be 
reconciled  to  the  endless,  permanent  establishment  of  evil 
and  suffering  ;  and  that  the  eloquent  descriptions  which  Dr. 
Edwards  and  various  other  divines  have  given,  of  the  great 
exaltation  of  the  bliss  of  the  saints  in  heaven,  and  of  the 
glory  of  God,  at  the  magnificent  woes  of  the  damned,  are 
Avildly  imaginative  and  impious. 

'  Smj  not,  I  loill  do  so  unto  him  as  he  hath  done  to  me.' — 
Prov.  xxiv.  29.  'Grievous  words  stir  up  anger,'  so  does 
grievous,  savage  revenge,  not  turn  away  wrath  and  enmity, 
but  only  aggravates  the  malice,  and  widens  the  breach  of 
separation.  Surely,  the  disposition  of  the  Father  towardf. 
His  creatures  is  infinitely  difierent  from  that  which  says, — 
*I  will  do  so  to  him  as  he  hath  done  to  me.' 

In  like  manner,  we  may  take  the  following  passages  as 
inferential  proofs  of  the  impartial  love,  and  unceasing  uni- 
versal goodness  of  God  :  'Be  patient  [forbearing,]  toicards 
All  Men.'— I  Thess.  v.  14.  'Be  gentle  unto  All  Men.'— 
2  Tim.  ii.  14.  '  The  Lord  make  you  increase  and  abound 
in  love  toward  one  another,  and  toivard  All  Men.' — 1  Thess, 
iii.  12.  'Honor  All  Men.  Love  the  Brotherhood.' — 1  Pel 
ii.  17. 

"God  loves  from  wliole  to  parts,  but  human  soul, 
Must  rise  from   individual   to  the  whole. 
Self-love  first  serves  the  virtuous  mind  to  wake. 
As  the  small   pebble  stirs  the  peaceiul  lake, — 
The  centre  mov'd  a  circle  straight  succeeds. 
Another  still,  and  still  another  speeds  : 
Friend,  parent,  neighbor,  first  it  will  embrace. 
His  country  next,  and  next  all  human  race. 
Wide  and  more  wide  th'  o'erflowings  of  the  mind, 
Till  it  all  creatures  br)unds,  of  every  kind  ; 
Earth  smiles  around  with   boundless  beai.ly  blest, 
And  heav'n  beholds  its  image  in  his  breast. 

Learn,  from  the  union  of  the  rising  whole. 

The  first,  last  purpose  ot  the  human  soul  ; 

And  know  where  faith,  law,  morals  all  began, — 

All  end  in  love  of  God,  and  love  of  man."— Pope. 


260  EEASONS  FOB  OUR  HOPE. 


PROPOSITION  FIFTIETH. 

Wp.  have  seen  that  the  Scripticres  indirectly  repudiate  the 
idea  of  the  Eternal  Sinfulness  and  Misery  of  Millions 
of  the  Human  Family,  in  a  thousand  different  ways ; 
We  shrno  also  that  the  Scriptures  contain  language 
that  LITERALLY  CONTRADICTS  that  Sentiment,  the  Pur- 
port of  lohich  must  be  exactly  reversed  to  agree  vnth  it. 

CORROBORATION. 

'Will  the  Lord  Cast  off  Forever  ?  Will  He  be  favorable 
no  more?  Is  His  Mercy  utterly  sfone  forever?  Doth  Hi$ 
Promise  fail  forevermore  ?  Hath  God  forgotten  to  be  Gra- 
cious ?  or  hath  He  in  anirer  shut  up  His  tender  mercies  ?' — 
Ps.  Ixvii.  7,  8. 

'Wilt  Thou  be  ang-ry  with  us  Forever?  Wilt  Thou  draw 
out  Thine  anger  to  All  Generations?  Wilt  Thou  not  Re- 
vive us  again,  that  Thy  People  may  Rejoice  in  Thee?' — 
Ps.  Ixxxv.  4-7. 

'Will  He  reserve   [prolong]    anger  forever  V — Jer.  iii.  5. 

'Wilt  not  Thou,  O  God,  who  hast  cast  us  off, — wilt  not 
Thou  give  us  help  from  trouble?' — Ps.  cviii.  11. 

'^Wliat  hath  the  Lord  answered?  What  hath  the  Lord  spoken?'' — Jer.  xxiii.  35. 

'The  Lord  loill  not  Cast  off  forever  !  But  though  He 
cause  grief,  yet  will  He  have  compassion  according  to  the 
multitude  of  His  tender  merries  ;  for  He  doth  not  afflict 
ivillina:ly,  nor  grieve  the  children  of  men.' — Lam.  iii.  31-33. 

'I  am  Merciful,  saith  the  Lord,  and  I  will  not  keep  An- 
ger forever.' — Jer.  iii.  12. 

'The  Lord  is  Merciful  and  Gracious,  slow  to  Anger,  and 
Plenteous  in  Mercy.  He  will  7iot  always  chide,  neither 
will  He  keep  Anger  forever.' — Ps.  ciii.  8,  9.  'My  Spirit 
shall  not  always  strive  with  man.' — Gen.  vi.  3. 

'I  will  not  Contend  forever,  neither  will  I  be  always 
Wroth  :  for  the  spirit  should  Aiil  before  Me,  and  the  souls 
which  I  have  made.' — Isa.  Ivii.  16. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  261 

•His  Anger  endureth  but  a  moment ;  in  His  favor  is  life. 
Weeping  may  endure  for  a  night,  but  joy  corneth  in  the 
morning.' — Ps.  xxx,  5. 

'Who  is  a  God  like  unto  Thee,  that -Pardoneth  iniquity, 
and  passelh  by  the  transgression  of  the  remnant  of  His  her- 
itage ?  He  retaiaeth  not  His  J.«o'e?*yb?-eye?',  because  He 
delighteth  in  Mercy.' — Micah  vii.  18. 

'The  Lord  ivill  7iot  Cast  oft"  His  People,  neither  will  He 
forsake  His  inheritance.' — Ps.  xciv.  14. 

'Thus  saith  the  Lord,  If  heaven  above  can  be  measured, 
and  the  foundation  of  the  earth  searched  out  beneath,  then 
will  I  Cast  Oft' the  seed  of  Israel  for  all  the  evil  they  have 
done,  sailh  the  Lord.' — Jer.  xxxi.  37. 

'■His  Mercy  endureth  Forever.^  This  sentence  occurs  in 
our  Scriptures  no  less  than  Forty-Two  times.  It  is  as  pal- 
pable a  contradiction  of  the  doctrine  of  Endless  Wrath,  and 
Salvation  only  in  this  World,  as  human  language  can  ex- 
press in  the  same  compass. 

"O,  would  mankind  but  miike  fair  Trull)  their  guide, 

And  force  the  helm  from  prejudice  and  pride  ; 

Were  once  these  maxims  fix'd, —  God  is  our  Friend, 

Virtue  our  Good,  and  Happiness  our  End, — 

Hovv  soon  would  reason  o'er  the  world  prevail. 

And  error,  fraud,  and  superstition  fail  ! 

None  would  hereafter  then,   with  groundless  fear. 

Describe  th'  Almighty  cruel  and  severe, 

Predestinating  some  without  pretence 

To  heaven, — the  rest  to  hell,  without  offence  ; 

InHictinw  endless  pains  for  transient  crimes, 

And  fav'rin<j  sects  or  nations,  men,  or  limes  ; 

Or  deem  it  merit  to  believe  or  leach 

What  reason  contradicts  or  must  impeach  ; 

Or  think  Salvation  for  ene  clti-ts  desi<.'n'd. 

And   Heaven  too  narrow  to  contain  Mankind  ! 

No  more  would  brutal   ra^ie  disiuib  our  peace. 

But  envy,  hatred,  war  and  discord  "ease  ; 

Our  own  and  others'  good  eacli  hour  employ, 

And  all  things  smile   with  universal  joy  : 

Fair  Virtue  then  with   pure  Religion  join'd. 

Would  reijulale  and  bless  the  human  mind. 

And  Man  be,  wiial  his  Maker  hath  desian'd." 

Soame  Jenyns,--  quoltd  by  Zimmerman. 

16 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 


THE  UNIVERSALIST  CREED. 

Written  by  St.  Paul,  the  Apostle,  a  Minister  of  the  Gos- 
pel of  the  RecoJiciliation  of  All  Things.     (Eph.  iv.  4--6.) 

(Art.  I.)  'There is  ONE  BODY,'— [The  Body  of  Christ, 
who  is 'the  Head  of  Every  Man,'  'the  Heir  of 
All  Things,' — Mankind  is  this  Body,  of  wliom 
Jesus  is  the  Head.  Read  Eph.  iv.  12,  13,  15, 
16;  i.  22,  23;  ii.  16;  iii.  6;  v.  23  ;  Col.  i. 
17--19,  24;  ii.  17,  19 ;  1  Cor.  xiiih;  x.  17; 
Rom.  viii.  23  ;    xii.  5.     Isa.  xxvi.  9.] 

(Art.  n.)  ^And  ONE  SPIRIT,'— [The  Holy  Spirit  of  Grace 
which  shall  redeem  and  sanctify  All  Men.  See 
Jas.  ii.  26  ;  Rom.  iii.  23,  24;  'iv.  16  ;  v.  18-- 
21;  Eph.  ii.  7  ;  Tit.  ii.  11  ;  Heb.  ii.  9,   fee] 

(Art.  HI.)  'Even  as  there  is  but  ONE  HOPE  in  our  Call- 
ing;'— [The  'blessed  Hope'  of  the  Resurrec- 
tion of  All  Men,  even  o^'the  unjust,''  to  'glory,' 
'power,'  'spirituality,'  and  'Christ,'  in  tlie  image 
of  'the  heavenly,'  and  'equal  to  the  angels,' — 
Acts  xxiv.  15  ;  Rom.  viii.  20  ;  1  Cor.  xv  ;  Col. 
i.  23;  Phil.  iii.  21,  &c.  &c. 

(Art.  IV.)  'ONE  LORD,'— [.Tosus  Christ,  the  Owner  and 
Saviour  of  All.  Rom  xiv.  9,  and  20  parallels  ; 
1  Tim.  ii.  6,  2  Cor.  v.  19,  and  50  parallels. 

(Art.  V.)  'ONE  FAITH,'— [The  glorious  Faith  of  Abra- 
ham for  the  ultimate  blessedness  of  'All  Kin- 
dreds.' Acts  iii.  21-26  ;  Gal.  iii.  8,  28,  29  ; 
Rom.  iv.  13,   &c.  &:c.] 

(Art.  VI.)  'A7id  ONE  BAPTISM,'— [A  universal  baptism 

with  the  'Spirit  of  Judgment,   and  the  Spirit  of 

♦  Burning,' — the  Holy  Spirit  of  Regeneration. — 

Mark  ix.  39;  Mat.  iii.  11 ;  Luke  iii.  16  ;    Heb. 

xii.  29 ;  1  Cor.  iii.  15  ;  John  xii.  31,  32,  etc. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  263 

(Art.  VII.)  'ONE  GOD,'— [the  Governor,  Sustainer,  and 
Sovereign  Universal,  whose  counsel  is  irnn)uta- 
ble,  whose  Will  is  irresistible,  and  whose  Pur- 
poses are  infallible.  Heb,  vi.  17  ;  Rom.  ix.  19  ; 
Eph.  1.  9-11,  etc. 

(Art.  VIII.)  ^And  [ONE]  FATHER  of  All,  icho  is  Above 
All,  and  through  All,  and  in  you  All,' — [who 
punishes  'for  our  profit,'  'knoweth  what  we 
have  need  of,'  and  'to  Whom  are  All  Things.' 
Heb.  xii.  7--10  ;  Rom.  xi.  36,  &c. 

"True  Re!if:ion, 
Is  always  mild,  beneficent,  .nnil  humble  : 
Acts  not  tiie  Tvrnnt,  plants  not  Faith  in  blood, 
Nor  bears  destruction  on  her  ciiaiiot   wlieels  ; 
But  sloops  to  polish,  succour,  and  redress, 
And  builds  lier  giandeur  on  the  public  good." 


A  TABLE 

Of  the  Scriptural  Expressions  of  Universality,  with  Refer- 
ences to  the  Places  in  ivhich  they  afford  the  Birfxt,  and 
Inferential  Proofs  of  Universal  Ecdcwption. 

I.  All.  Rom.  xi.32;  1  Tim.  ii.  6;  John  vi.  39;  1 
Cor.  XV.  22  ;  Heb.  ii.  8  ;  2  Pet.  iii.  9  ;  Ps.  cxlv.  9  ;  Mai. 
ii.  10  J  John  vi.  37;  Eph.  iv.  13;  John  xvii.  10  :  Rom. 
iv.  16;  Acts  xvii.  25  ;  Rom.  ix.  5;  Ps.  cxlv.  14,  15;  John 
vi.  45;  Isa.  liii.6;  Rom.  viii.  82;  1  Cor.  v.  14,  15;  Rom. 
xiv.  10  ;  Zeph.  iii.  9  ;  Gal.  iv.  26  ;  I  Cor.  iii.  22  ;  John 
xvii.  21  ;  Luke  xx.38;  Rom.  ,iii.  22;  1  Cor.  xv.  gS  ;  Mat. 
V.  18;  Isa.  xlvi.  10;    Mat.  xxviii.  18;  Eph.  iv.  6. 

IL  All  Men.  1  Tim.  ii.  1  ;  John  xii.  32;  Rom.  v.  18  ; 
Titus  ii.  11  ;  1  Tim.  iv.  10  ;  Ps.  Ixiv.  9  ;  John  v.  23  ;  Acts 
xvii.  31  ;  Jas.  i.  5  ;   1  Tiin.  ii.  4. 

III.  All  Things.  I  Cor.  xv.  28;  Rev.  iv.  11  ;  John  iii. 
35  ;    Rom.  xi.  36 ;   Mat.  xi.  27  ;    Heb.  i.  2  ;  2  Cor.  v.  18 ; 


264  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

Phil.  iii.  21  ;  Heb.  ii.  8;  John  xvi.  15  ;  xiii.  3  ;  1  Tim.  vi. 
13;  Luke  x.  22  ;  Rev.  xxi.  .5;  Heb.  ii.  10;  Eph.  iv.  10; 
ICor.  xiii.  7;  Eph.  i.  10,  11  ;  Acts  iii.  21  ;  Prov.xvi.4; 
1  Cor.  iii.  21,  23  ;    xv.  27  :    Col.  i.  20  :  i.  16. 

IV.  All  People.  Luke  ii.  10;  Isa.  xxv.  6;  Luke  ii. 
31  ;  Isa.  xxv.  7  ;  Ps.  xcvii.  6 ;  Isa.  Ivi.  7,  Heb.  ix  19. 

V.  All  Nations.  Gal.  iii.  8;  Ps.  Ixxxii.  8;  Ixxii.  11, 
17;lxvii.  2;  Jer.  iii.  17  ;  Rom.  xvi.  26  ;  Isa.  Iii.  10  ;  ii. 
2;  xxv.  7;  Hag.  ii.  7;  Rev.  xv.  4;  Rom.  i.  5  ;  Mat. 
xxviii.  19;  Markxi.  17;  Luke  xxiv.  47,  Isa.  Ixi.  11,    xliii. 

9,  Iii.  JO. 

VI.  All  Flesh.  John  xvii.  2;  Ps.  Ixv.  2;  Luke  iii.  6  ; 
Isa.  xl.  5  ;    xlix.  26  ;  Numb,  xxvii.  16. 

VII.  All  Generations.  Ps.  cxix.  90;  c.  5;  cxlvi.  10; 
Isa.  xli.  4,    Ps.  Ixxxix.  3.  4.  &c. 

VIIL  All  in  All.  1  Cor.  xv.  28;  Col.  iii.  11  ;  Eph. 
i.  23 ;   1  Cor.  xii   6. 

IX.  All  the  Earth.  Isa.  x.  14  ;  Numb.  xiv.  21 ;  Ps. 
Ixvi.  4  ;  Zech.  xiv.  9. 

X.  All  the  World.  Col.  i.  6;  Mark  xvi.  15;  Rom.  iii. 
19. 

XI.  All  His  Works.     Ps.  cxlv.  9  ;  civ.  31  ;  cxi.  4;  cxlv. 

10,  cii:.  19--22. 

XII.  All  Faces.     Isa.  xxv.  8. 

XIII.  All  the  Nations  of  the  Earth.  Gen.  xviii.  18; 
xxii.  18  :  xxvi.  4;  Jer.  xxxiii.  9. 

XIV.  All  the  Families  of  the  Earth.  Gen.  xii.  3  ; 
xxviii.  14. 

XV.  All  the  Kindreds  qf  the  Earth.     Acts  iii.  25. 

XVI.  All  THE  Ends  of  the  Earth.  Isa.  xiv.  22;  Iii. 
10  ;  xlix.  6;  Acts  xiii.  47  ;  Ps.  Ixv.  5;  Ixvii.  7;    xcviii.  3. 

XVII.  All  the  Ends  of  the  World.     Ps.  xx.  27. 

XVIII.  All  Nations  whom  God  has  Made.  Ps.  Ixxxvi. 
9. 

XIX.  All  that  go  down  to  the  Dust.  Ps.  xxii.  29. 
Eccl.  xii.  7,   Ps.  Ixviii.  20. 


KELSONS    FOR    OUR    HOrE.  26.5 

XX.  All,  from  the  Least  to  the  Greatest,  Jer. 
xxxi.  34;  Heb.  viii.  11. 

XXI.  All  THE  Kindreds  OF  THE  Nations.     Ps.  xxji.  27. 

XXII.  All  that  are  Afar  Off, — the  Far  and  tiii-; 
Near.  Acts  ii.  39;  Isa.  Ivii.  19 ;  Eph.  ii.  13;  Zech.  vi. 
15  ;  Isa.  xliii.  6,  <^c. 

XXIIT.  All  THE  Inhabitants  of  the  Earth.  Ps.  xwiii. 
14,  15,  Dan.  iv.  35. 

XXIV.  All  Nations,  People,  and  Languages.  Don. 
Tii.  14, 

XXV.  All  Nations-,  and  Kindreds,  and  People,  and 
Tongues.     Rev.  xiv.  6,    vii.  9. 

XXVI.  All  Things  in  Heaven  and  in  Earth.  Eph. 
i.  10. 

XXVII.  All  Rule,  Authority,  and  Pcweks,  Princi- 
palities, KlNGDOBIS,  AND  DOMINIONS.       1  CoV.  XV.  24  ;      Col. 

i.  16;  ii.  10;  Eph.  i.  21;  Rev.  xi.  15:  Dan.  \ii.27;  Col. 
ii.  15,  4'C. 

XXVIII.  All  that  have  Sinned.     Rom.  iii.  23,  24  ;    v. 

20,  21  :  1  John  iii.  5  :  Titus  ii.  14  :  Dan.  ix.  24  :  1  John 
iii.  8,  Gen.  iii.  15,  Heb.  ix.  26,  ii.  14,  1  Cor.  xv,  54,  Hos. 
xiii.  14,    2  Tim.  i,  10,   &c, 

XXIX.  The  People.  Heb.  ii.  17  ;  Gen.  xlix.  10  ;  Isa, 
xlii,  6;  Heb.  xiii.  12;  v.  3 ;    Ps.  xcvi.  9,  13;    Hab.  ii.  13, 

XXX.  The  Creation.     Rom.  viii.  19-22. 

XXXI.  The  Earth.  Hab.  ii.  14;  Isa.  xi.  9  ;  Ps.  Ixxxii. 
8,  &c. 

XXXII.  The  Nations.  Rev.  xxii.  2 ;  Zeph.  iii.  8  ;  ha. 
V.  26;  xi.  12;  Ps.  xxii.  28. 

XXXIII.  The  World.  John  iv.  42;  xii.  47;  iii.  17  ; 
i.  29;  vi.  33;  viii.  12;   1  Cor.  iii.  22;     vi.  2;    John   xvii. 

21,  23;  Isa.  xxvii.  6  ;  Gal.  i.  4;  1  John  iv.  14:  Isa.  xiii. 
11 :  Acts  xvii.  31  :  John  xvi.  33  ;  vi.  51  :  1  John  v.  4,  5: 
Ps.  xcviii.  9:  ix.  8 :  Rom.  iv.  13;  Rom,  iii.  6:  2  Cor. 
V,  19  :  Rom.  xi.  12:  Ps.  xcvi.  13;  John  iii.  16  ;  Rom.  xi. 
15  :    Ps.  xcvii.  4. 


266  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

XXXIV.  The  Whole  World.     1  John  ii.  2. 

XXXV.  The  Whole  Earth.  Isa.  liv.  5,  Micah  iv.  13, 
Dan.  ii.  35. 

XXXVI.  The  Dead  and  the  Living.     Rom.  xiv,  9. 
XXX VIT.    The  Just  and  the  Unjust.      Acts   xxiv.  15, 

Mat.  V.  45 

XXXVIil,  The  Whole  Family  in  Heaven  and  in  Earth. 
Eph.  iii.  14,  15. 

XXXIX,  The  Uttermost  Parts  of  the  Earth.  Ps, 
ii.  8, 

XL.  The  Whole.  Mat.  xiii.  33,  Luke  xiii.  21.  The 
Lump,  the  Mass,     Rom.  xi.  16,    Gal.  v.  9. 

XLI,  Every  One,  Isa.  xliii.  7,  Acts  iii.  26,  Mark  ix.  49. 
Isa,  liii.  6. 

XLII.  Every  Man,  Heb.  ii.  9,  Col.  i.  28,  1  Cor.  xi.  3, 
iv.  5,  Rom.  iii.  3,4,  Lukexvi.  16,  John  vi.  45,  1  Cor.  iii.  13. 

XLIII.  Every  Creature.     Mark  xvi.  15,    Col.  i.  15. 

XLIV,  Every  Knee.     Isa.  xlv.23,    Rom.  xiv.  IL 

XLV,  Every  Tongue.  Isa.  xiv.  23,  Rom.  xiv.  11,  Phil. 
ii,   14. 

XLVI.  Every  Man  that  Cometh  into  the  World. — 
John  i.  9. 

XLVI  I.  Every  Knee  of  Things  in  Heaven,  Earth, 
AND  Under  the  Earth.     Phil.  ii.  10. 

XLVIII.  Every  Creature  unler  Heaven.     CoI.  i.  23. 

XLIX.  Every  Creature  in  Heaven,  on  Earth,  Under 
the  Earth,  in  the  Sea,  and  All  that  are  in  Them. — 
Rev.  V.  13. 

L.     His  Creatures.     Jas.  i.  18. 

LI.  His  People.  Luke  i.  68,  77,  Mat.  i.  21,  Isa.  xxv. 
8,   Ps.  ci.  9,    4-c. 

LII.  My  People.    Isa.  Hi.  6,  liii.  8,  Jer.  xxxi.  14,83,34. 

LIII.  Thy  People.  Isa.  Ix.  21,  Ps.  ex.  3,  Ixxii.  2, 
Ixxxv.  2. 


REASONS  FOE  OUR  HOPE.  267 

LIV,  Any  Man.     J  John  ii.  1,  Heb.  xii.  15,    Eph.  ii,  9, 
I  Cor,  iii.  15. 

LV.  The  Children  of  the  Resurrection.  Luke  xx. 
36,  Mat.  xxii,  30,   Mark  xii.  25,   Cor.  xv.  43. 

LVI.  That  bear  the  image  oe  the  Earthy,  i  Cor. 
XV.  49. 

LVII.  Jews  and  Gentiles.  Rom.  xi,  1  Cor,  xii,  l3, 
Rom,  iii.  9. 

LVIII.  Male  and  Female,  Gal.  iii.  28,  29.  Believ- 
ers and  Disbelievers,  John  x.  16,  2  Tim.  ii.  13,  Rom.  iii. 
3,4,     1  John  V,  10,  11,     Rom,  xi.  32. 

LIX.  Men,  the  Many,  (i.  e.)  Mankind,  Luke  ii.  14, 
Heb.  ix.  28,  ii.  10,  Rom,  xii.  5,     v.  i5,  19,  Mat.  xx,  16,  <^c, 

LX.  Full,  Fulness,  All  Fulness,  Plenteous,  Com- 
plete, &c.  Col.  i.  19,  Rom.  xi,  i2,  25,  Eph.  iii,  8,  Col. 
ii,  lO,  Mat,  ix.  37,38,  1  Cor.  x.  26,  James  iii.  17,  Ps.  Ixxii, 
7,  2Cor,  iv,  15,  Titus  iii.  6,  2Pet.  i,  11,  John  x,  10,— 
Ps.  cxxx.  7,  ciii,  8,  Ixxxvi.  15,  cxlv.  8,  cxi.  4. 

"How  charmingly  sounds,  I  "With  joy  we  record, 

The  word  of  the  Lord,  |          The  tiulh  and  the  grace. 

Where  witness  abounds,  I  Of  Jesus  our  Lord, 

That  Man  is  Restor'd.  |           To  all  of  our  race. 

How  rich  our  possession,  I  Enjoyinjgr  his  Spirit, 

In  glory  shall  be,  |          The  spirit  of  Love, 

From  sin  and  pollution,  I  Mankind  shall  inherit. 

Forever  set  free  !  |          His  blessing  above. 

The  Record  is  true, 

And  witness  is  giv'n 
Our  hearts  to  imbue. 

With  graces  of  heaven. 
0  may  our  devotion 

In  purity  grow. 
And  every  emotion 

In  gratitude  flow." 

{Thomas*    Hymns  of  Zion.) 


REASONS  FOR  OUK  HOPE. 


NKGATIVE 


Universal  Expressions,   where  they   occttr   in    Evidence  of 
Universal  Salvation. 


J.  NO  MAN.     Rom,  xiv.  7,   John  vi.  44. 

II.  NOT  ANY  MAN.     Acts  x.  28. 

IIL  NOT  ANY.     2  Pet,  iii.  9,    Ezek,  xviii.  23. 

IV.  NONE.     2  Chron,  xx.  6,    Roin.  xiv.  7,  Dan.  iv-Sf). 

V.  NOT  ONE.     Mat.  xviii,  14, 

VI.  NOTHING.     John  vi.  12,  39,    Heb.  ii.  8. 

VII.  NEITHER  Greek  nor  Jeiv,  NEITHER  Circum- 
cision,  nor  Uncirct/mcision,  Bond  nor  Free,  Barbarian, 
Scythian,  Male  nor  Female, — Gal.  iii,  23,  Col.  iii,  11,  Rom. 
X.  12. 

VIII.  NO  Respect  of  Per so?is.  2  Chron.  xx,  7,  Acts  x, 
34,   Eph.  vi.  9. 

IX.  NO.     Ezek,  xviii.  33,   xxxiii.  11. 

X.  NOT.  Lam,  iii.  3i,  Mic,  vii.  18,  Luke  ix.  56, 
Jer.  iii.  12,    Isa.  Ivii.  16,  dj-c. 


"Nothing  is  lost  in  nature, — so,  no  soul, 

Tlioiioli  buried  in  tlie  centre  of  .ill  sin. 

Is  lost  to  God  ;  ev'n  there  it  works  His  will, 

And  burns  to  piiriiv.     The  weakest  things 

Arc  to  be   niadi;  examples  of  His  Might, — 

The  most  defective,  of  His  Love  and  Grace, 

Whene'er  He  Ihinkelb  well.     Oh!  everything 

To  me  seems  good,  or  tendencing  to  good  ; 

The  whole  is  beautiful  !  and  I  can  see 

Noiiuht  absolutely  wrong  in  mnn  or  nature, — 

As  (rom  His  hands  it  comes  who  fashions  all, 

With  (qualities  in  germ  that  shall  unfold 

All  holy  as  his  word.     The   world  is  but 

A  Revel-ition.     His  Spirit  breathes  upon  us 

Before  our  births, — as  o'er  the  formless  void 

He  mov'd  at  first, — and  we  are  all  inspir'd 

With  His  Spirit.     All  things  are  God,  or  of  God." — FestuB. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  269 


The  Folloioing  List  of  References  also,  comprise  Proofs  of 
the  Salvation  of  Several  general  Classes,  luhose  i?e- 
demption,  {en  Masse.)  is  commonly  Denied. 


The  Heathen, — All  the  Heathen.  Ps.  ii.  S  ;  xlvii.  8 ; 
xciv.  10  ;  xcvi.  10;  cxi.  6  ;  Gal.  iii.  8;  Ezek.  xxxvii.  28; 
xxxix.  7,  21  ;  Joel  iii.  11,  12,  21,  &c. 

Enemies, — All  Enemies.  1  Cor.  xv.  25  ;  Ps.  Ixvi.  3; 
Isa.  xlii.  13;  Gen.  xxii.  17;  Rom.  v.  10;  Heb.  x.  13; 
Ps.  ex.  1. 

Sinners.  Ps.  xxv.  8;  Mat.  ix.  13;  1  Tim.  i.  15;  Mark 
ii.  17 ;  Luke  V.  32 ;  vii.  34 ;  Kom.  v.  8 :  Ps.  li.  13. 

The  Ungodly.  Rom.  v.  6;  iv.  5.  The  Unholy.  Lev. 
xix.  2. 

The  Unjust.     1  Pet.  iii.  18;  Acts  xxiv.  15. 

The  Wicked.     Ps.  vii.  9;  x.  15;  Jer.  xxx.  22-24:    Isa, 

xiii.  11,  12;    Eccl.  iii.  16,  17;    Ezek.  xxxiii.  IL 

The  Lost.  Ezek.  xxxiv.  16  ;  Mat.  xviii.  11 ;  Luke  xix. 
10  ;  XV.  4,  6,  24  ;  John  vi.  12,  39. 

They  which  toere  not  God's  People.  Hos.  ii.  23  ;  John 
X,  16;  Jer.  xxiv.  7;  xxxii.  38--40;  Ezek.  xxxvi.  25-27; 
Zech.  xiii.  9 ;  Rom.  ix.  25,  26. 

All  Israel.     Rom.  xi.  26  ;    Jer.  xxxi.  1 ;    Isa.  xlv.  25. 

The  Rebellious,  the  Haughty,  the  Stubborn-Hearted,  ^e. 
Ps.  Ixviii.  18;  cvii.  11  -14;  Isa.  ii.  11,  17;  Isa.  xlvi.  10- 
12  ;  xlv.  24,  &c. 

The  Needy,  the  Blind,  the  Sick,  the  Destitute,  ^c.  Isa. 
xlii.  16;  Ps.  Ixxii.  14,  15;  cii.  6;  cxlv.  14;  ix.  18;  Mat 
ix.  12 ;    vi.  8,  32  ;    Jer.  xxxi.  25,  &c. 

"All  things  in  nature  are  proportionate  : 
Is  man  alone  in  an  imperfect  etate  ? 
Doth  He  not  all  things  wisely  regulate  ? 

Q 


270  REASONS    FOR    OTIR    HOPE. 


Tlie  spirits  of  the  lost  of  whom  we  sing, 

Have  perish'd  not  ;  they  have  but  taken  wing. 

Changing  an  earthly  for  a  lieav'niy  spring. 

So  is  all  nature  perfect.     Harmony 
Pervades  the  whole,  by  His  All-wise  decree  ; 
With  whom  are  those  to  vast  infinity, 

We  misname  dead." — Longfellow. 


A  CHAPTER  OF  BIBLE  STATISTICS. 

t  '  CONCERNING  'HELL.' 

'  The  Gospel  of  St.  John,  and  the  three  Epistles  of  John, 
which  are  always  acknowledged  to  be  the  most  spiritual  and 
divine  writings  of  the  New  Testament,  do  not  contain 
the  word  Hell, not  any  other  which  is  pretended  to  be  its 
equivalent. 

The  Gospel  of  Mark  contains   the    word  heU  but  once, 
and  then  the  original  is  Valley  of  Hinnom. 

St.  Luke's  Gospel  contains  the  .word  hell  but  once,  (save 
two  instances  of  exact  parallelism  with  Matthew,)  where 
it6ccurs  in  a  figurative  story ,  a  parable.  Besides,  the  orig- 
inal is  there,  hades, — the  place  where  Jacob  and  the  Fathers 
all  went  after  death, — the  place  where  Job  prayed  to  go, — 
tile  place  where  the  Psalmist  expected  to  go,  and  from  which 
he  repeatedly  prophesied  his  redemption, — the  place  to 
which  Jesus  himself  descended  after  his  crucifixion, — where 
the  spirit  of  Jonah  also  was  detained  for  three  days, — where 
me  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  said  even  also  to  exist, — of  which 
Jesus  has  the  keys,  and  beyond  which  he  has  declared  that 
his  everlasting  kingdom  and  ever-increasing  Church  shall 
mierfijow, — the  place  which  the  Prophet  saith,  'gathereth  to 
itself  all  nations  and  people,' — from  whence  the  hand  of  God 
shall  '■take'  those  who  dig  into  its  power, — the  place  which 
He  has  declared  that  our  agreement  with  '■shall  not  stand,'' 
to  which  the  sacred  testimony  says  that  the  Lord  'bringeth 
down,  and  bringeth  up,^ — from  which  God  has  promised  to 
ransom  mankind,  and  to  be  its  destruction, — and  in    refer- 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  271 

ence  to  the  period  when  all  things  should  he  subdued  unto, 
and  made  alive  in,  Christ,  when  all  corruption  shall  put  on 
incorruption,  Paul  exclaimed,  'O  Hell^xohere  is  thy  victory  V 

The  Gospel  according  to  Matthew,  contains  the  word 
hell  in  eight  places,  being  twice  as  many  times  as  it  occurs 
in  all  the  other  Gospels  together,  where  the  original  is  six 
times  Valley  of  Hinnom,  (in  three  of  which  it  is  addressed 
to  the  disciples,)  and  twice  hades,  of  which  the  Bible  repeat- 
edly teaches  the  destruction. 

The  Book  of  Acts,  which  comprises  a  sketch  of  the  Apos- 
tles' ministry  for  thirty  years,  never  records  the  use  of  the 
word  hell  but  once,  and  in  that  instance  it  is  used  in  ref- 
ence  to  Christ. 

The  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  the  great  battle-ground  of 
the  chief  contested  principles  of  Theology,  contains  not  one. 
syllable  respecting  a  Bell. 

The  First  Book  of  Corinthians  contains  one  of  the  nu- 
merous instances  of  the  disguised  translation  of  Hades, — 
which,  had  they  been  uniformly  rendered,  would  have  ef- 
fectually prevented  the  doctrine  o{  an  eternal  world  of  sniffer- 
ing  and  sin  from  ever  having  been  fastened  upon  the  Bible. 

The  Second  of  Corinthians  is  silent  as  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death,  respecting  such  a  place. 

The  Epistle  to  the  Galatians  knows  nothing  about  the 
Christian  [Pagan]  hell. 

The  Epistle  to  the   Ephesians  contains   not  a   sentence 
concerning  "the  everlasting  universe  of  death." 
Neither  Phillipians,  nor  Colossians,  contain  the  word  hell.. 

The  two  Thessalonians  are  also  wholly  destitute  of  that 
word. 

The  two  Epistles  to  Timothy,  the  Letters  to  Titus  and 
Philemon,  and  the  Epistle  of  Jude,  neither  affords  a  word  of 
testimony  about  a  hell. 

The  thirteen  chapters  of  Hebrews  are  as  free  from  the 
word  hell,  as  a  table  of  logarithms  I 

St.  James  once  made  use  of  the  Greek  term  for  Valley  of 
Hinnom,  by  way  of  illustration  of  the  filthy  tongne, 
which  is  rendered  hell  in  the  common  translation. 

The  First  of  Peter  does  not  contain  the  word. 


272  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

In  the  Second  of  Peter  the  heathen  Tartarus  is  once  al- 
luded to, — translated  ^hell.'' 

Out  of  the  four  instances  in  which  Hades,  rendered  'hell,' 
occurs  in  the  Apocalypse,  there  is  no  intimation  in  connec- 
tion with  either  that  it  is  a  region  or  condition  oi  sufferings^ 
much  less  of  eternal  torture,  for  millions  of  the  human 
Family,  by  the  almighty  ingenuity  of  'the  Father  of  Spirits.' 

As  to  the  Old  Testament,  it  indeed,  in  the  Hebrew  much 
more  abounds  with  the  term  for  'hell,'  than  the  New  ;  yet 
what  is  fatal  to  the  modern  English  acceptation  of  this  word, 
is,  that  it  is  so  varioushi  translated, — the  words  pit,  grave, 
death,  ^-c,  alternately  representing  it  in  our  version,  while 
a  fair,  uniform  tran.-lation  would  at  once  exhibit  the  incon- 
sistency of  the   popular   notions  respecting   this  word. 

Not  a  single  instance  where  the  word  hell  is  found  in  the 
Scriptures,  is  it  ever  associated  with  any  adjective  having 
the  sense,  or  that  is  ever  supposed  to  have  the  sense,  of  in- 
termifiable  duration. 

There  is  not  a  word  spoken  in  the  Scriptures  about  the 
Creation  of  a  Hell.  If  such  a  world  existed,  should  w^e  not 
expect  to  find  some  mention  of  a  place  of  so  vast  importance, 
in  the  general  account  of  the  Creation  by  Moses  ?  Ought 
il  not  at  least  to  have  been  named  as  an  exception  to  the 
works  which  were  pronounced  ^very  good?' 

Not  a  Scriptural  instance  can  be  produced  of  any  individ- 
ual ever  expressing  a  fear  of  going  after  death  to  such  a 
place  as  hell  is  described  to  be ;  nor  of  any  instance  where 
an  apprehension  was  entertained  that  others  might  go,  or 
had  gone,  to  such  an  awful  region  of  misery ;  neither  is 
there  a  solitary  shadow  of  evidence  that  Jesus  came  to  save 
mankind  from  such  a  place.  The  Scriptures,  in  the  state- 
ment of  its  precepts,  are  not  accustomed  to  affix,  hell!  hell ! 
the  promiscuous,  unvarying,  reward  of  disobedience, — as  is 
the  fashion  of  'Orthodoxy.' 

From  the  bold  and  incessant  denunciation  of  hell  and 
perdition,  which  is  common  to  the  modern  pulpit,  we  should 
naturally  expect  to  find  abundant  warrant  for  it  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. Yet  the  whole  Bible  contains  not  the  word  hell  so 
many  times  as  an  ordinary  orthodox  sermon  ! 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  273 


THE    PAUCITY  AND   WEAKNESS  OF    THE 

ASSUMED  SCRIPTURAL  GROUNDS  OF 

ENDLESS  MISERY. 

From  ihe  force  of  education  and  deeply  rooted  habits  of 
thinking,  the  confidence  of  the  believers  in  the  awful  dogma 
of  endless  woe,  that  it  is  one  of  the  plainest  and  most  abun- 
dantly testified  doctrines  of  the  Bible,  is  sometimes  remark- 
able. So  fixed  is  the  assurance  of  this,  in  general,  that 
no  thought  or  pains  is  bestowed  on  searching  out  and  defi- 
ning with  precision  the  Scriptural  grounds  on  which  to  es- 
tablish succinctly  this  tremendous  article  of  the  self-styled 
Evangelism,  the  validity  of  which  is  so  much  taken  for 
granted.  This  being  the  case,  even  the  most  common  Scrip- 
ture threatenings  and  prophecies  of  Punishment  for  sin  and 
unbelief, — temporal,  national,  consequentia],mentaI, spiritual, 
and  negative,  in  which  we  all  believe,  and  which  we  enforce 
and  reiterate  in  our  sermons,  our  exhortations,  and  our  wri- 
tings, the  same  as  others,  (though  we  hope  in  general  with 
better  understanding  and  efl^ect,)  are  hastily  seized  upon 
and  thrown  out  at  every  occasion  as  proofs  against  the  final 
holiness  and  happiness  of  all  men. 

In  much  misunderstanding  of  our  doctrine,  the  impression 
seems  to  have  settled  itself  upon  them,  that  because  we  de- 
ny endless  punishment,  we  therefore  cannot  hold  to  a???/ pun- 
ishment. Having  themselves  adopted  one  extreme,  they 
accuse  us  of  having  fallen  into  the  other.  They  seem  to 
think,  and  so  they  unjustly  misrepresent  us,  that  we  believe 
in  no  change  for  the  wicked  before  they  are  received  into 
heaven, — in  no  disciplinary,  purifying,  or  regenerating  pro- 
cess by  which  we  are  to  he  fitted  for  the  heavenly  state  ; — 
but  that  all  men  whatsoever  are  already  travelling  upon  the 
direct,  swift,  broad  road  to  endless  bliss, — no  matter  whether 
holiness,  or  not ;  that  all  will  reach  it  immediately  at  death, 
or  at  some  period  in  the  future,  all  at  once.  Death,  and  not 
Christ  and  the  Resurrection,  is  represented  to  be  our  Sa- 
viour and  usherer  into  the  high  condition  of  the  glorioi^  an- 


274  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

gels,  and  no  condUions  are  to  be  fulfilled,  either  on  the  part 
of  Creator  or  creature,  in  order  to  be  accomplished  the 
Restoration  of  all  the  lost  to  eternal  life  on  high.  Enough, 
we  trust  is  said,  in  various  parts  of  this  book,  to  convince 
any  reader  that  such  representations  of  'the  Gospel  of  the 
Grace  of  God' as  these,  are  very  wide  of  the  truih, — unfair 
and  mistaken  altogether.  What  better  however  may  we 
expect  from  those  who  will  not  examine  our  doctrine  for 
themselves, — who  are  determined  to  be  deaf  and  blind  to  ail 
our  claims  ?  Whoever  desires  to  know  what  Uuiversalism 
is  not,  let  him  go  hearken  to  the  spleen  of  its  enemies. 

With  such  views  of  our  faith,  it  is  not  at  all  to  be  won- 
dered at  that  there  should  be  betrayed  so  much  near-sighted- 
ness in  the  management  of  Bible  arguments  against  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Restitution  of  All  Things.  But  when  they  are 
driven  to  perceive  that  there  is  an  alternative  between  uneu' 
diiig,  revengeful  punishment,  and  none  at  all,  and  that  con- 
sequently, all  that  numerous  class  of  texts  which  relate  to 
.special  and  general  punishments,  do  not  in  the  least  affect, 
but  perfectly  harmonize  with,  the  system  of  Universalism, 
the  resources  for  proof-texts  for  endless  misery,  are  dwindled 
down  to  but  a  very  'precious  few,'  Not  with  the  assurance 
and  effrontery  of  former  days  do  the  advocates  of  this  unrea- 
sonable doctrine  take  violent  hold  of  every  promiscuous  pas- 
sage of  Scripture  that  happens  to  contain  such  Vv'ords  as 
perdition,  judgment,  perish. fire,  wrath,  darkness, death,  dam- 
nation, or  co7idemnation,  c^c,  and  lift  them  up  as  positive 
and  plain  proofs  of  the  future,  e^e?-W(zZ  suffering  of  the  sinful, 
and  contradictions  of  uni\;ersal  redemption.  Now,  the  on- 
ly class  of  passages  which  are  quoted  with  the  least  degree 
of  reliance  for  the  eternity  of  punishment,  are  a  strange  few, 
casual  passages  in  which  some  of  those  equivocal  words, 
forever,'  and  the  like,  happen  to  be  associated  v/ith  figures 
which  imply  desolation  and  destruction.  It  is  not  our  de- 
sign to  give  expositions  of  these  passages  ;  but  to  institute 
a  brief  contrast  between  the  strength,  variety,  and  plainness 
of  the  Scriptural  evidences  of  Universalism  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  paucity,  indirectness,  and  ambiguity  of  the  pretend- 
ed proofs  of  endless  woe   being  the  penalty  of  sin,    on   the 


EEASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  276 

Other.  We  shall  commence  with  Genesis,  and  make  the 
comparison  of  the  two  classes  of  passages  that  are  drawn 
from  each  book,  respectively. 

So  terrible  a  thing  as  eternal  sin  and  misery,  if  it  were 
the  truth  of  God,  and  a  knowledge  of  it  to  man  so  efficient 
a  restraint  upon  sin,  and  so  indispensable  to  his  salvation,wfe 
should  rightfully  expect  would  have  been  the  very  first  thing 
after  the  existence  of  Deity,  that  should  be  revealed  to  him. 
If  such  were  the  doom  which  God  had  deliberately  deter- 
mined from  the  beginning  of  His  work  to  impose  upon  the 
disobedience  of  His  commands,  was  it  Justice  in  Him  not 
to  have  apprised  the  first  parents  of  this  fact  when  He  expo*- 
sed  to  them  the  temptation  of  Eden,  and  gave  His  first  mor- 
al command  ?  But  did  He  do  so  ?  No.  He  indeed  gave 
them  a  warning  of  the  consequence  of  disobedience,  but  it 
was  not  that  of  endless  banishment  and  misery  after  death, 
— as  wide  indeed  from  this  as  the  nadir  from  the  zenitjb- 
Can  a  doctrine  be  true  which  lacks  a  mark  of  evidence 
so  absolutely  indispensable  ?  Yet  this  is  but  one  of  a  mil- 
lion !  Were  this  the  truth  of  heaven,  it  would  be  traced  in 
fiery  characters  upon  every  constellation  of  the  heavens, 
and  through  every  age  of  the  world, — everlasting  woe  to 
the  sinner  !  Every  voice  of  nature,  and  every  echo  of  hu- 
man action  would  utter, — everlasting  ivoe  to  the  siiiner  ! 
Every  page  of  revelation  would  join  with  the  universal  res- 
onance of  nature  in  proclaiming, — everlasting  woe  to  the 
sinner  !  If  such  were  a  truth  of  Heaven,  it  would  be  the 
most  important  truth  of  the  universe,  because  the  most  in- 
finitely terrific;  and  its  Author  would  indeed  be  more  fear- 
ful than  that  truth  itself,  if  He  failed  to  inspire  every  ac- 
countable creature  of  His  hands,  both  with  a  knowledge  and 
realization  of  its  terror  ! 

No  mighty  objections  like  these  can  be  urged  against  the 
doctrine  of  the  world's  eventual  perfection.  It  presents  it- 
self with  every  requisite  mark  and  credential  of  genuineness, 
which  all  truth  is  wont  to  bear.  It  gathers  its  immutable 
principles  from  the  treasure-house  of  Reason,  points  to  a 
thousand]  illustrations  and  confirmations  of  its  truths  in  the 
ternple  of  Nature,  and  exhibits  with  superlative  triumph  its 


276  REASONS  FOR  OUR  ROPE. 

thoroiifrh  attestation  by  the  concise  and  precious   words  of 
Holy  Writ. 

The  prophecy  and  promise  of  the  destruction  of  sin  is 
recorded  in  immediate  conjunction  with  the  narration  of  the 
tjery^r^^  act  of  disobedience, — on  the  second  page  of  the 
Bible  !  Indeed,  there  is  a  proof  of  Uni  verbalism  on  the  very 
first  page,  wherein  we  are  instructed  tliat  Man  was  created 
in  the  image  of  his  Maker,  that  he  was  the  crowning  excel- 
lence of  the  creation,  (for  until  man,  the  work  was  not  pro- 
nounced very  good,)  and  that  to  him  was  given  the  dominion 
of  all  the  animated  tribes.  Surely,  that  the  wise  Creator 
has  shapen  the  spirit  of  man  in  His  own  likeness,  and  made 
all  other  things  for  him,  is  an  evidence  that  He  designs 
him,  not  for  sTn  infinitely  worse,  but  for  a  far  more  glorious 
destiny  than  the  beasts  that  perish.  And  the  wisdom  of  the 
Almighty  that  was  manifested  in  the  several  department?  of 
the  Creation  as  they  were  brought  into  being, — and  His 
omnipotence,  in  saying.  'Let  there  be  light !'  (etc.)  and  there 
was  lisfht,  (etc.)  is  proof  of  the  ample  ability  of  God  to  over- 
rule all  things  after  the  counsel  of  His  own    good  pleasure. 

But  where  occurs  the  earliest  show  of  proof  for  the  pre- 
tended Bible  doctrine  of  ejidless  hell  damnation  ?  In  the 
first  chapter  of  the  Bible  ?  In  the  first  book?  Is  there  any 
intimation  of  it  to  be  found  before  the  aged  event  of  the  del- 
tio-e  ?  Or  was  it  afterwards  revealed  to  the  patriarchs,  and 
imparted  to  the  Lawgiver  of  Israel  ? 

Not  a  sentence  can  be  produced  from  the  one  hundred 
and  eighty-seven  long  chapters  of  the  Pentateuch,  which 
bears  the  slightest  resemblance  to  the  peculiar  language  of 
endless  torments.  On  the  contrary,  the  original  Promise 
to  the  first  parents,  which  assured  them  of  the  final  extin- 
guishment of  evil,  was  subsequently  renewed  to  the  patriar- 
chal Fathers,  in  six  remarkable  instances,  and  in  language 
which  still  more  luminously  testified  to  the  final  reign  of 
holiness  and  blessedness,  under  the  Messias,  for  all  the  hu- 
man family.  Then,  the  other  books  of  Moses,  Exodus,  Le- 
viticus, Numbers,  and  Deuteronomy,  contain  many  beauti- 
ful attestations  of  the  Goodness,  Mercy,  Faithfulness, 
Impartiality,    and    Paternality   of  God,     which  breathe  a 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  277 

kindred  spirit  to  that  of  the  Better  Covenant.  We  collect 
twenty  passages  from  the  Five  Books  of  Moses,  which  are 
not  only  at  variance  with  endless  misery,  but  o)ili/  consis- 
tent with  Universalism.^ 

The  nine  Historical  Books,  between  Moses  and  Job,  it  is 
true,  are  not  expected  to  furnish  many  doctrinal  proofs  of 
any  kind;  yet,  w'hile  these  writings  contain  quite  a  number 
of  passages,  {eight  or  ten,)  which  peculiarly  belong  to  Uni- 
versalism.only  one  single  brief  sentence  can  be  gathered  from 
these  voluminous  records,  to  bring  to  the  support  of  the  aw- 
ful creed  we  are  refuting, — and  this  is  the  earliest  text  in 
the  Bible  of  this  kind  which  can  possibly  be  ferretted  out ! 


*\Ve  do  not  doubt  that  Moses,  and  David,  and  tlie  Propliels,  and  even 
Soloimin,  not  only  knew  tliat  man  is  possessed  of  an  unfi>inK  npiiit,  the 
seat  of  MIb,  reaiion,  and  the  affections,  but  that  ihey  also  rejoiced  in  the 
confident  anticipation  of  a  fiilure  existence,  whose  ultimate  condition 
would  be  glorious  and  holy.  To  us,  it  seems  singular  that  this  should 
ever  lie  seriously  questioned  by  Universalists,  as  it  seems  to  be,  occasion- 
ally, in  opposition  to  many  evidences  of  its  truih.  We  must  have  little 
confidence  in  the  veracity  of  Jesus,  to  deny  that  Moses  believeil  in  the 
future  stale,  when  Jesus  so  plaii  ly  declared  that  even  he  taught  the  res- 
urrection of  the  dead,  *at  the  hush,'  when  he  said  that  God  was  the  Lord 
of  Abrahiini,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  because  he  signified  that  these  Fathers 
were  then  livinj;  unto  God,  in  possession  of  the  rest  and  blessedness 
which  they  had  been  promised.  If  Moses  was  the  author  of  the  Hook  o( 
Genesis,  which  few  dispute,  is  it  reasonable  to  suppose  that  he  knew 
nothing  abtut  the  human  soul,  who  so  iniiny  times  employed  the  Hebrew 
term  for  soul,  o"  life,  as  another  thing  than  the  fleshy  bcdy  ?  Coidd  he 
have  deliberately  written  and  passed  over  the  Promise  of  a  Saviour  that 
should  destroy  liie  cause  of  temptation,  and  the  several  renewals  of  ihie 
Promise  to  tlie  Fathers,  of  a  Seed  who  should  bring  in  univer.-:il  blessed- 
ness,—  which  Promise  is  so  fieqnently  referred  to  in  the  Gospil  dajs,  and 
understood  of  the  spiritual  redemption  by  Christ,— could  Muses  have  written 
these,  and  yet  have  been  ignorant  that  there  is  a  hrnvcn,  a  happy  and  glo- 
rious land  away  beyond  the  Jordan  of  the  Valley  of  l)(ath  1  We  are  lon- 
straiiied  to  answer,  i\'o/  it  is  impossible  that  he  should  have  believed 
that  in  every  respect,  'man  hath  no  pre-eminence  above  a  brast.'  (Jl  all 
the  authors  of  the  Old  Teslampnt,  in  short,  there  ate  no  sufficient  reasons 
to  sui)p()se  th.it  any  doubted  a  future  existence,  except  Job,  who  was  wav- 
ering upon  the  subject,  yet  could  not  lelinquish  Ihehnpe.  As  to  the  Psalm- 
ist, we  verily  suppose  tliat  he  cherished  as  buoyant  a  hope  i>f  iinmortaliiv, 
and  as  lively  an  anticipation  of  the  ultimate  spiritual  subjection  of  all 
things  to  God,  as  the  Apostle  Paul,  or  ourselves. 

17 


278  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

(1  Chron.  xxviii.  9:)  'If  thou,  [Solomon,]  forsake  him,  he 
will  cast  thee  off  forever.'  This,  let  it  be  observed,  is  an  in- 
dividual injunction,  from  a  father  to  a  son,  and  not  a  gene- 
ral universal  principle,  draum  from  the  attributes  of  God, 
like  those  in  Lam.  iii.,  Jer,  iii.,  Ps.  ciii.,  &c.,  which  we 
have  frequently  noticed, — 'The  Lord  will  not  cast  off  forev- 
er, -  -  because  of  the  'rmdtitude  of  His  tender  Mercies,  for 
He  doth  not  afflict  willingly,'  ^c  :  'I  am  Merciful,  saith  the 
Lord,  and  [therefore]  will  not  keep  Anger  forever  :'  'The 
Lord  is  plenteous  in  Mercy,  and  He  [therefore]  will  not  aZ- 
t6-ay.s  chide,  neither  keep  Anger /orewr  ;'  'His  Mercy  ew^ 
dureth  forever,' — 'His  Compassions  fail  not,' — [therefore,] 
'The  Lord  will  not  cast  of  His  people.'  Thus,  in  order  to 
reconcile  that  objective  passage  with  all  these,  and  a  thou- 
sand-and-one  others  of  similar  import,  we  are  obliged  to  con- 
sider it  as  one  of  the  numerous  instances  in  which  the 
\ioxdi  forever,  denotes  only  the  lifetime  ;  and  this  explana- 
tion makes  the  sense  of  the  passage  plain. 

Though  we  do  not  pretend  to  find  any  distinct  enuncia- 
tion of  universal  redemption  in  the  Book  of  Job,  yet  we 
can  show  that  it  contains  many  principles  that  are  subver- 
sive of  the  scheme  of  irrascible  and  insatiable  Justice,  and 
many  which  well  illustrate  Universalism.  In  this  book, 
however,  the  defender  of  endless  woe  finds  his  second  proof 
text  of  that  darling  doctrine.  (Job  xx.  7  :)  'He  [the  wicked] 
shall  perish ybr  ever,  like  his  own  dung.' 

The  next  strong  proof  of  the  sentiment  of  eternal  tor- 
ments, is  found  in  the  Psalms  of  David,  (ix,  5,) — btit  it  is 
the  only  one  having  the  slightest  resemblance  of  that  doc- 
trine in  the  tvhole  Book  of  Psalms :  'Thou  hast  destroyed 
the  wicked,  Thou  hast  put  out  their  name  for  ever  and  ever.' 
Now,  out  of  the  nearly  200  passages  from  this  most  divine 
portion  of  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  which  are  quoted 
in  this  book,  as  'direct,  illustrative,  or  collateral  evidences' 
of  universal  redemption,  we  might  select  at  least  twenty, 
solid,  strong,  reliable  proofs  of  our  distinguishing  tenet,  be- 
sides twice  that  number  against  endless  misery. 

The  Writings  of  the  Wise  Man  furnish  one  or  txoo  proofs 
of  the   salvation  of  all  men,  and  a  considerable  number  of 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  279 

collateral  ones,  besides  a  large  number  of  precepts  and  prin- 
ciples which  are  at  war  with  the  spirit  and  sentiment  of 
endless  woe.  Yet,  there  is  one  single  verse  in  the  Book  of 
Proverbs,  (xxix.  1,)  which  is  frequently  cited  as  a  positive 
proof  of  interminable  sufferings  for  the  wicked  :  'He  that 
being  often  reproved,  hardeneth  his  neck,  shall  suddenly  be 
destroyed,  and  that  without  remedy.' 

Twelve  plain  and  forcible  proofs  of  universal  restoration, 
we  point  out  in  the  Prophecies  of  Isaiah, — against  but  o?ie 
pretencive  proof  of  an  everlasting  hell :  'Who  among  us 
shall  dwell  with  the  devouring  fire  ?  who  among  its  shall 
dwell  with  everlasting  burnings  ?  He  that  walketh  right- 
eously, and  speaketh  uprightly.' — Isa.  xxxiii.  14,  15. 

Eternal  Misery  pretends  to  no  proof  hom  the  Prophecies 
or  the  Lamentations  of  Jeremiah, — Universal  Redemption 
lays  claim  to  Four. 

Three  strong  proofs  for  'the  Great  Salvation'  are  drawn 
from  the  Book  of  Ezekiel, — but  not  a  single  text  in  this 
Prophet  is  relied  upon  to  prove  the  Eternity  of  Punishment. 

Universalism  claims  Four  important  testimonies  from  the 
Book  of  Daniel,— while  Endless-Torture-ism  pretends_  to 
only  one,  viz  :  'Some  shall  awake  to  shame  and  everlasting 
contempt.' — xii.  2. 

The  whole  of  the  Twelve  Lesser  Prophets  afford  not  the 
smallest  scrap  of  language  in  the  shape  of  never-ending  mis- 
ery and  sm, — not  one  !  Yet  therein,  the  doctrine  of  'The 
Restitution  of  All  Things,'  is  'spoken  of,'  several  times. — 
Eight  of  these  Twelve, — Hosea,  Joel,  Micah,_  Hab- 
bakkuk,  Zephaniah,  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi,  have 
written  abundant  confirmation  of  this  glorious  Faith. 

We  rely  upon  Eight  different  passages  in  the  Gospel  of 
St.  Matthew,  as  proofs  of  the  final  salvation  of  the  world. 
The  Doctrine  of  Eternal  Misery  exhibits  Four  sentences  in 
this  Gospel  as  evidence  in  its  favour :  'unquenchable  fire,' 
— iii.  12  ;  'sin  that  hath  not  forgiveness,' — xii.  32;  'everlas- 
ting fire,' — XXV.  41 ;  and  'everlasting  punishment,' — 46.* 


♦Endless  Misery  is  a  doctrine  ol  such  a  character  as  not  to  admit  of  its 
l)eing  merely  inferred  from  passages  which  do  not  have  the   appearance  of 


2S0  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE- 

We  have  Fo?(r  Universalist  proof-texts  in  the  Gospel  by 
Mark, — to  set  against  the  two  phrases — 'in  clanger  of  eter- 
nal damnation.' — iii.  29;  and,  'fire  that  never  shall  be 
quenched,' — ix.  45. 

Fifteen  plain  proofs  of  the  world's  salvation  we  exhibit  in 
the  Gospel  according  to  St.  Luke.  The  endlessness  of  re- 
tribution is  thought  to  be  sustained  in  that  part  of  the  Parable 
of  the  Rich  Man  and  Lazarus  where  it  is  written, — 'neither 
can  they  pass  lo  us  that  would  come  from  hence.' — xvi.  26. 
The  expression  'fire  unquenchable,'  occurs,  ch.  iii.  17. 

In  the  Gospel  of  St.  John,  not  a  shadow  of  proof  can  be 
pretended  to  be  gleaned  for  the  sentiment  of  eternal  sin  and 
wretchedness, —  not  a  sentence  that  resembles  that  horrid 
idea,  not  even  by  parallellism  with  Matthew, — as  Mark 
and  Luke.  On  the  contrary,  the  truth  that  Christ  is 'the 
Saviour  of  THE  World,' is  reiterated  in  much  variety  of 
phraseology  in  Twenty-0/ie  distinct  places, 

The  Acts  of  the  Apostles  is  as  barren  of  the  dogma^  of 
Irremediable  Evil  and  Endless  Wrath,  as  it  is  of  the  doctrine 
of  Transmigration  of  souls!  Eight  of  the  explicit  proofs 
of  Universal  Salvation  are  v.-ritten  in  the  Book  of  Acts. 

We  come  to  the  Works  of  Paul, — the  Epistle  to  the  Ro- 
mans, of  which  every  chapter  illustrates  Universalism,  and 
which  comprises  Eighteen  unequivocal  proofs  of  its  leading 
doctrine; — the  Two  Corinthians,  comprising  Fourlcen  ; — 
Galatians,  comprising  T/ir^'e;  Ephesians,  SezJtw;  Phillip- 
pians.  Two;  Colossians.  Six;  Thessalonians,  One;  the 
Two  Timothies,  Five;  Titus,  One;    and  Hebrews,   Nine. 


f\cU\\\\\y  asserting  n, — as  UnivcrpaliFm  is  jll^'tIy  su'ceptiljle  of.  Endless 
Misery  flows  tiiilinally  from  no  single  rational  principle,  nor  set  of  princi- 
ples. "  It  RlanHs  ont  alone  and  lonely,  di.-jnined  from  all  that  is  riglil,  nat- 
ural, reasonablp,  pliilosopliieal,  good  ;  contrary  lo  all  experience,  con- 
Bcioiisness,  an  I  eslal)lisl  ed  irnlli.  Universalism,  being  as  far  as  possible 
(lie  opposite  of  all  these,  admits  of  a  hnndred  various  and  forcible  argu- 
ments from  many  Scriptural  data  l)esid<<s  those  which  directly  recognize 
the  conchisiiin.  "  This  observation  is  made  in  view  of  there  being  some 
four  or  five  passages  in  which  the  eternity  of  puni'^hment  is  sometimes 
supposed  to  be  taught  inferentirilUj .  We  mention  Mat.  x.  28,  xxvi.  24, 
John  viii.  21,  and  Rom.  vi.  23.  It  is  oidy  those  passages,  however,  con- 
taining the  words  ^for  ever,''  fyc,  in  connection  with  punishment  or  judg- 
ment, which  are  .iny  thing  Wkc  plausible  evidences  of  endless  tormenla. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  281 

Yet  it  is  pretended  that  St.  Paul  believed  and  inculcated  the 
doctrine  of  a  Vengeful,  Implacable,  Merciless,  and  Partial 
God,  who  shall  cruelly  perpetuate  His  erring  offspring  in 
the  terrible  fires  of  endless  sinning,  ignorance,  pain,  and 
despair!  The  grounds  for  such  an  opinion  ought  to  be 
strong  and  abundant  as  the  trees  of  an  oaken  forest !  But 
what  are  they  ?  Forsooth!  Astonishment!  That  a  doc- 
trine of  such  tremendous  moment  should  ever  gain  so  power- 
ful a  sway  and  fastening  upon  the  Christian  Cliurch,  that 
can  discover  but  oni?  resembling  passage  in  all  tlie  writings 
of  St.  Paul !  This  is  confessedly  the  case,  and  is  beyond 
the  cunning  of  theologian  to  dispute.  That  passage  is  the 
following, — the  true  sense  of  which  is  clearly  manifest, 
when  a  very  cursory  attention  is  given  to  the  context,  and 
when  the  frequent  Scripture  usage  of  the  phrases  to  he  cast 
from  the  Lord's  presence,  and  ^everlasting,''  is  understood: 
— 'Who  shall  be  Punished,  [chasti.'ed,  corrected, —  Gr.} 
with  everlasting  destruction  from  the  Presence  of  flie  Lord, 
and  the  glory  of  his  Power.' — 2  Thess.  i.  9. 

The  Epistle  of  James  contains  one  proof  of  universal  rec- 
onciliation, but  is  not  pretended  to  afford  a  word  of  evidence 
for  endless  misery. 

The  Epistles  of  Peter  give  two  or  three  strong  evidences 
of  Universalism, — yet  they  furnish  but  one  trivial  express- 
ion that  may  possibly  be  conceived  to  teach  endless  misery, 
viz  :  '77iist  of  darkness  for  ever,'' — 2.  Pet.  ii.  17. 

What  shall  we  say  of  the  Epistles  of  John  ?  Should  we 
expect  to  find  any  thing  there  about  Eternal  Woe  and  Evil? 
Sooner  a  denial  of  future  state  !  Why,  the  Three  Epistles 
of  John  are  nothing  but  piire   Universalism  ! 

Three  verses  in  Jude,  (6,  7,  13,)  who  commences  his  E- 
pistle  with  the  declaration  that  'the  Common  Salvation'  is 
Hhe  Faith  -which  teas  once  delivered  to  the  Saints,''  arc  fre- 
quently quoted  to  prove  the  directly  opposite  doctrine  ! 

Notwithstanding  the  florid  strength  of  that  only  proof-pas- 
sage of  endless  misery  that  is  found  in  the  Book  of  Revela- 
tions, (used  twice, — xiv.  11,  xx.  10,)  'the  smoke  of  their  tor- 
ment ascendeth  up  for  ever  and  etcr,' — it  is  much  more  than 


282  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

cancelled  by  its    Six  or   Seven  equally  expressive   and  ex- 
plicit prophecies  of  universal  blessedness.'^' 

We  have  thus  surveyed  the  immense  disparity  of  the  Bi- 
ble grounds  of  Eternal  Misery,  with  those  of  Universal  Sal- 
vation. The  proportion  in  favor  of  the  latter  is  not  less 
than  TWENTY  TO  ONE  !  We  ask  if  it  is  not  a  strong  primie 
facie  evidence  of  the  truth  of  any  cause,  that  it  produces  in 
its  behalf  so  many  more  credible  witiiesscs  than  the  opposite. 
If  the  witnesses  of  the  minor  side  are  urged  to  be  equally 
credible  with  those  of  the  major,  may  \ve  not  inquire  wheth- 
er their  testimony  may  not  be  mistaken?  Thus  with  the 
assumed  Bible  witnesses  for  eternal  misery ;  they  are  credi- 
We,and  therefore  deserve  to  be  heard,  though  they  maybe  hon- 
estly misimder stood,  as  a  witness  in  court  may  be  honestly 
mistaken.  And  we  ask,  is  it  not  natural  and  right  to  pre- 
sume in  favor  of  that  part  upon  which  so  vast  a  majority  of 
the  witnesses  rally  ? 

A  doctrine,  indeed,  of  the  immeasurable  magnitude  of 
that  of  endless  torments,  would  not  be  adequately  suppor- 
ted, if  the  adduced  revealed  proofs  of  it  were  as  numerous 
only  as  those  of  an  opposite  doctrine,  like  Universalism, 
were  the  latter  of  as  much  or  more  literal  explicitness  as 
the  former.  A  sentiment  so  infinitely  opposed  to  reason 
and  conscience,  so  awfully  revolting,  and  utterly  incredi- 
ble as  that  of  Eternal  Suffering,  ought  certainly  to  come 
with  an  infinitely  greater  number  of  attestations,  than  an- 
other sentiment  altogether  at  agreement  with  nature  and 
consciousness.  And  here  is  another  reason  for  inferring 
naturally,  that  these  few  enigmatical  passages  which  are 
cited  in  behalf  of  endless  misery,  may  be  seriously  mis- 
conceived and  misapplied. 

Yet,  again,  of  these  fifteen  or  twenty  texts  which  are 
commonly  specified  as  proofs  of  a  heaven-enduring  hell, 
how  many  are  confidently  relied  upon,  and    made   use   of 

*VVe  pliould  have  been  glad,  had  it  been  possible,  to  have  given  the  ref- 
erence.f  to  the  proof-textp  of  each  Book,  of  whicii  we  have  merely  Ptated 
the  number.  They  are  introduced  however,  for  the  moBt  part,  in  the  body 
(if  our  work,  cited  at  length.  A  comparison  of  the  relative  strength  of  lan- 
guage, directness ,  and  il)UabiUty  to  objections,  between  the  Universalian 
and  the  objective  proofs,  would  be  even  more  advantageous  to  our  argu- 
ment than  the  numerical  comparison. 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  283 

for  this  purpose,  by  the  more  intelligent,  and  the  learned 
defenders  of  orthodoxy  ?  Not  one  half  of  them.  After 
all,  it  seems  as  if  this  impossible  and  mischievous  article 
of  the  creed,  exists  more  in  name  than  in  reality,  even  on 
the  most  authoritative  seats  from  which  it  is  spoken.  The 
various  eminent  commentators  of  the  popular  school,  have 
one  by  one  rooted  up  the  venerable  fastenings,  until  there 
is  not  one  but  they  themselves  have  shivered  and  loosened 
to  its  foundations.  We  do  not  say  that  any  one  of  these 
distinguished  scholars  have  'explained  away'  and  abandon- 
ed the  whole  ;  but  that,  among  some  dozen  or  twenty  of 
the  most  brilliant  luminaries  of  the  Church,  the  total  in- 
sufficiency of  every  one  of  these  passages  to  sustain  the 
scheme  oi  eternal  vengeance,  has  been  repeatedly  shown. 

But,  whatever  degree  of  conviction  these  few  passages 
we  have  exhibited,  carry  to  the  mind,  of  the  truth  of  end- 
less punishment  and  sinfulness ;  are  the  almost  innume- 
rable scriptures  which  contradict  and  disagree  with  such 
an  interpretation  of  them,  to  be  wholly  disregarded  ?  Is 
it  no  part  of  the  business  of  the  endless-miserian,  acknow- 
ledging the  Scriptures  to  be  of  divine  and  supreme  author- 
ity, to  reconcile  apparently  conflicting  passages  ?  It  is 
certainly  as  palpable  to  him  as  to  us,  that  endless  torture 
is  as  incompatible  with  universal  and  never-changing  Mer- 
cy, as  it  is  possible  for  any  two  opposing  propositions  to 
be.  No  one  will  deny  that  the  latter  is  taught  in  the 
Scriptures  with  tenfold  more  plainness  and  plenitude  than 
the  former.  Why  are  the  oft  and  variously  asserted  aa:- 
io?«5  of  the  Bible,  supplanted  and  trampled  upon  by  an 
overweening  devotion  to  a  few  parabolic,  mystic, poetic,  id- 
iomic,  proverbial,  and  localic  sentences  ? 

Be  impressed,  reader,  with  the  overwhelmning  strength 
of  the  Scriptural  foundations  of  Universalism.  Examine 
and  study  for  yourself,  and  mark  how  the  evidences  accu- 
mulate upon  you,  growing  up  heaven  high, — 'Pelion  upon 
Ossa.'  Mark  the  unbroken,  the  steadily  strength 
ening  and  brightening  chain  of  testimony  from  the  creation 
to  the   patriarchs,    from  the  patriarchs  to  the  kings  and 


2S4  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

the  prophets,  from  thence  to  the  Messias  and  the  apostles. 
Survey  the  golden  links  which  comprise  the  glorious 
bond  l)eiween  tlie  desecration  of  the  tree  of  life  at  the 
befriiitiing,  and  its  restoration  at  the  end,  re-estahlished 
and  effectual  'for  thi  Healing  of  the  Nations,'' — when  Jesus 
shall  have  drawn  all  unto  him  without  distinction,  (conip. 
Rev.  xxii.  17,  with  John  vi.  37,)  when  he  shall  have 
crushed  the  serpent's  head,  when  "there  shall  he  no  more 
curse'  nor  'pain,''  and  '  God  Himself  shall  dwell  with  [or,  in] 
Me?i:  being  'ALL  IN  ALL  !' 

What  perceptible  loss  would  we  sustain  to  have  as  many 
of  our  proofs  stricken  out  from  the  Bible  as  the  dogma 
of  unceasing  sin  and  torments  is  rested  upon  ?  Indeed 
we  should  scarcely  miss  them.  Let  us  ask,  on  the 
other  hand,  where  would  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery 
be  without  the  Hebraic  Gospels  of  Matthew  and  Mark, 
— or,  if  only  the  Epistles  of  Paul  constituted  the  New 
Testament?  On  the  contrary,  what  would  the  doctrine 
of  Universalism  be  affected,  were  those  two  Go.spels 
taken  away,  or  all  the  Gospels?  Annihilate  the  Proph- 
ets, and  we  have  abundance  of  Universalism  in  the  Psalms, 
— or  vice  versa.  Annihilate  either  of  the  Testaments,  and 
the  other  will  furnish  ample  justification  of  its  princi- 
ples. Obliterate  all  the  Scriptures  save  Paid, — aye,  save 
the  Epistle  to  Romans,  and  the  temple  of  Universalism 
is  still  immutable!  'Their  rock  is  not  as  our  rock,  even 
our  enemies  themselves  being  the  judges.' 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  286 


SCRIPTURAL   DEMONSTRATION 

of  the  Variability  of  the  Scriptural    Words,  Forever.  Ever' 
lasting,  &c. 


The  three  English  terms  Forever,  Everlasting,  and 
Eternal,  are  interchangeably  translated  from  the  same 
words  in  the  original  of  the  Scriptures,  and  are  therefore 
exactly  synonymous  in  meaning;  so  that  whatever  pertains 
to  either  of  them,  pertains  also  to  them  all. 

There  are  but  two  words  in  all  the  original  text  of  the 
Scriptures,  from  which  those  three  terms  are  rendered, 
— and  these  two  indeed  are  one, — being  mutual,  identi- 
cal equivalents  of  the  Greek  and  Hebrew, — Aion  and 
its  derivatives  of  the  Greek,  and   Olim  of  the  Hebrew, 

The  true  import  of  the  words  olim  and  aion,  when  their 
meaning  is  not  fixed  by  any  associate  noun, — as  they 
stand  alone,  independent  of  connection, — is  simply,  as  nearly 
as  they  can  be  represented  in  English,  lasting,  endurant, 
continuant^  abiding,  long,  {old  and  ancient  when  applied 
io\\ie past,) — the  noun  form,  duration-,  continuance, age, — the 
adverbial,  ever,  always.  The  etymology  of  those  terms, 
designates  this,  and  these  English  words  we  have  named 
may  be  proved  to  be  as  exact  correspondencies  to  the  origi- 
nal, as  almost  any  words  of  one  language,  especially  of 
the  indefinite  character  of  these,  may  be  represented  by  in 
another. 

These  words  then,  imply  a  period  of  existence  or  duration 
which  is  variable,  which  the  words  of  themselves  do  not  fix, 
which  is  always  to  be  determined  by  the  nouns  which 
they  qualify. 

There  are  scores  of  such  indefinite  words  in  all  langua- 

R 


285  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.       , 

o-es  ; — such  as  the  English  great,  heavy,  high,  valuable,  dis- 
tant, Sf'C,  whose  special  ineaning  is  always  dependent  upon 
the  nouns  wiili  which  they  stand  connected.  Think  of  the 
infinite  difference  of  magnitude  which  a  single  term  sug- 
^Te^ls  when  we  contrast  successively,  a  great  apple,  a  great 
house,  a  great  mountain,  the  great  Satiirn,  a  great  man, 
and  THE  Great  God  !  Trinity  steeple  is  high  ;  yet  when 
we  speak  u^  the  height  of  Andes,  do  we  imply  that  Andes 
and  Trinity  arc  o{  equal  height?  or  when  we  call  the  hea- 
vens high,  (!•■)  we  imagine  them  to  be  no  loftier  than  the 
Andes  ?  Reflect  then  upon  the  infinite  disparity  of  dnra- 
uon  iu'iplied,  between  an  everlasting  Priesthood,  and  the 
Everlasting  Jehovah  I  between  'fadless  genealogies,''  (1 
Tim.  i.  4,)  and  the  'endless  life'  of  Christ, — (Heb.  vii.  16.) 

The  translators  of  our  authorized  version,  being  perfectly 
sensible  of  this  anibiQuity  of  sense  involved  in  nlhnand  aion, 
have  manifested  the  fact,  by  a  frequent  rendering  of  them 
into  English    words    of  corresponding    indefiniteness. 

In  tiventy-Jir.e  several  places,  the  identical  original  word 
which  is  relied  upon  to  prove  theeternity  of  punishment, — is 
translated  old,  and  of  old.  To  have  translated  olim,  etc.  by 
eternal  Qind,  eternitii,  in  these  places,  which  they  should  have 
done,  if,  as  many  in  eagerness  to  maintain  endless  misery 
insist,  the  word  invariably  means  eternity, — would  be  pal- 
pable impropriety  and  foolishness. 

Six  times  in  the  English  Bible  is  this  word  translated 
ancient :  and  this  is  six  more  proofs  of  its  variability.  It 
is  also  translated /o?i^,  four  times  ;  world,  three  times  in 
the  Old  Testamant,  and  thirty  times  in  the  New  ;  alway{s, 
five  places  ;  never,  thirteen  places;  any,  three  places;  las- 
ting,  once;  peipetual,  nmeleen  ;  co?itiniiance,  once;  07it- 
castfi,  once';  ever,  five  times  ;  and  age[s,  five  times. 

Every  one  of  these  instances  is  a  proof  of  the  doubtful- 
ness of  signification  that  attends  this  word  which  is  some- 
times so  confidently  relied  upon  to  establish  theeternity  of 
torments.  The  force  of  this  is  not  to  be  evaded.  If  olim 
and  aion  necessarily  involve  the  idea  of  endless  duration, 
we  nrotest  ag;iinst  its  dozen,  various,  equivocal  renderings, 
nn.'  'x.'Js'^ '\\'\'^- oTie  uniform  word   cxjTessive  of  that  sense, 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

be  substituted  throughout  the  Scriptures,  wherever  ilie  orio-- 
inals  occur.  Clearly,  if  they  are  invai-iable,  as  the  objec- 
tion  declares,  our  version  is  brim  full  of  false  translations  of 
this  kind,  and'oiir  requisition  is  perfectly  reasonable.  If 
this  is  true,  and  the  Scriptures  consistent,  sureJy  the  objec- 
tor can  have  no  fears  for  the  result. 

But  no  one  would  by  uny  means  consent  to  this,  for  to  dp 
it  would  bring-  out  thc^se  words  eternal  and  et.erniirj  so  fre- 
quently, that  its  changeallc7i€ss  wonld  imnicdialely  be  ap- 
parent, and  all  confidence  in  the  irutli  of  endless  ni'isery  des- 
troyed, while  it   is  only  based  upon  so  fickle  a   word. 

-The  eiKJiossness  of  Dei'y,  and  of  finure  happiness,  while 
we  of  course  acknowledge  them  to  be  taught  where  olam 
nnd /i?o«  are  joined  to  them  :  yet,  unlike  endless  misery, 
they  do  not  rest  on  these  alone.  Several  other  terms,  such 
as  Immortal,  Incorruptible,  Vnfaditig,  Undying,  Endless, 
Far-more-than-Eternal,  Without -End.  (|'r.,  are  superadded 
to  assure  us  of  the  eteriiil}''  of  licavcn. 

Again, — although  our  translators  have  designated  ly  diif- 
■erent  ivords,  the  dislinctinn  of  nuMning  which  aion  &cc. 
evince  when  they  are  applied  to  'things  seen  and  temporal,' 
and  the  Being  and  Attributes  of  God,  in  many  places  ;  yet 
there  are  a  large  number  of  instances  remaining  in  which 
the  translation  of  those  words  where  they  stand  plainly 
connected  with  earthly  matters,  is  given  in  the  Eno-lish 
terms  evi.rlasling,  and  forever  ;  words  which  do  not  readily 
convey  to  us  the  sense  of  limited  duration  ;  yet,  the  connec- 
tions of  which   clearly  demand    that    interpretation. 

We  find  the  word  forever  connected  in  the  Scriptures, 
once  with  cast  of, twice  with  darhiess,  twice  with  torinent  • 
we  fuid  the  word  everlasting  as^ociited  with  burnings,  cori- 
tempt,  fires punishmmt,  destruction,  and  chains,  once  each  ; 
and  the  word  eternal,  joined  once  \\\\.\\  fire,  once  with  con- 
demnation. These  are  the  grounds  of  endless  misery  ;  upon 
these  three  words,  occurring  in  such  connection  but  thus 
few  times,  is  based  the  bloody,  the  diabolical  Aibric  of  End- 
less Iniquity  and  Torment.  We  deny  that  intern; inable 
duration  is  intended  in  either  of  these  instances  of  the  use 
of  the  words  o/m,  tS-c,  and  s:ive  the  following  -pjisot,<  • 


288  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

While  all  the  scope  and  contexts  of  the  above  passages 
make  them  definitely  to  apply  to  this  natural  world,  to  men 
or  nations  in  the  flesh,  to  earthly  scenes, — no  warrant  on 
the  contrary  can  be  shown  for  carrying  their  application  to 
the  spiritual,  future  world. 

We  prove  from  more  than  fifty  plain  passages  of  the  Bi- 
ble, that  God's  Punishments  are  not  retalialive,  but  adminis- 
tered with  mercy,  and  remedial.  This  disproves  endless 
punishment,  and  is  an  irresistible  reason  for  choosing  the 
limited  interpretation  of  those  passages. 

We  prove  from  a  very  large  class  of  scriptures  that  God 
wills  and  has  purposed  to  reclaim  his  whole  creation  out  of 
the  bondage  of  evil,  through  his  Son  Jesus  Christ  who  died 
for  All,  ca!ne  to  save  the  world,  to  put  an  end  to  the  devil 
and  all  his -works,  to  reconcile  all  things  to  God,  and  who 
cannot  fail  of  the  object  of  his  mission.  This  being  true, 
it  IS  obvious  that  the  endless  signification  cannot  be  admitted 
of,  with  those  passages. 

Aaain — if  that  same  word  which  is  translated  eveWos^m^ 
ar\A  forever  in  those  passages  may  properly  be  rendered  las- 
tin<r,  ever,  etc.,  in  a  hundred  other  places,  as  we  have  seen  ; 
then  with  the  same  propriety  may  it  be  translated  by  one  of 
these  limited  terms,  in  those  few  places  which  are  pointed 
out  as  proofs  of  endless  misery. 

As  we  before  remarked,  the  English  Bible  as  it  is,  furnish- 
es a  sufficient  number  of  pretexts  for  the  limitation  of  the 
words  everlasting,  &c.,  without  the  necessity  ofgoingtothe 
original  in  search  of  more.  We  refer  to  the  everlasting  pos- 
session of  Gen.  xvii.  8,  and  xlviii.  4  ;  which  possession  we 
very  well  know,  has  ceased  for  ages.  We  refer  to  the  ever- 
lasting  hills  of  Gen.  xlix.  26,  and  the  everlasting  moun- 
taim  and  hills  o{  Yi^h.  \n.%.  yet  the  face  of  the  whole 
earth  is  constantly  wearing  away,  upheaving,  changing,  so 
that  it  requires  but  a  hundred  centuries  to  bring  every  emi- 
nence to  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  and  the  ocean's  depths  into 
fertile  continents.  We  refer  to  the  everlasting  priesthood 
of  Exod.  xl.  15,  aud  Numb,  xxv.  13;  yet  when  we  turn  to 
Heb.  vii,  12-18,  ix.  10,  &c.,  we  find  that  this  was  all  abol- 
ished and  disannulled  in  Jesus  Christ.  We  refer  to  the 
phrases  everlasting  arms,    and   everlasting  doors,    (Deuu 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  289 

xxxiii.  27,  and  Ps.  xxiv.  7,)  and  ask  whether  things  of  this 
nature  can  be  endless  as  the  life  of  the  Everlasting?  We 
refer  to  the  everlasting  covenant  of  Gen,  ix.  16,  xvii.  7,  &c., 
and  demand  whether  that  is  like  eternal  with  that  which  is 
spoken  of  in  Heb,  xiii.  20,  &c.  ? 

In  like  manner,  with  the  synonymous  vfoxA  forever,  we 
refer  to  the  following  array  of  passages  in  which  the  objec- 
tor himself  must  concede  that  limited,  but  indefinite  and  va- 
rious periods  of  duration  are  signified, — three  days,  forty 
days,  seven  years,  lifetime,  generation,  existence  of  the  priest- 
hood, of  the  country,  of  the  nation^  k,c.  Gen.  xiii.  15;  xliii. 
9;  xliv.  32;  Exod.  xiv.  13;  xxi.  6;  xxvii.  21;  xxviii.  43; 
xxix.  9,  23;  XXX.  21;  xxxi.  16,  17;  Lev.  vi.  6,  18-20; 
vii.  34.  36;  X.  9,  J5;  xvi.  21;  xxiii.  41 ;  xxv.  30,  46 ; 
Numb.  X.  8;  xv.  15;  xviii.  19;  xix.  10  ;  Deut.  xv.  17; 
xviii.  5;  xxviii.  46  ;  Josh.  iv.  7  ;  xiv.  9  ;  1  Sam.  i.  22  ; 
xxvii.  12  ;  1  Kings  xii,  7  ;  2  Kings  v.  27,  2  Chron.  x.  7  ; 
Isa.  xxxiv.  10  ;  Jonah  ii.  6  ;  Luke  i.  55;  Philemon  15,  and 
a  considerable  number  of  others. 

When  we  speak  of  Eternity,  we  designate  a  period  of 
duration  so  infinite  and  incalculable,  that  we  conceive  of  it 
as  having  neither  beginning  nor  end,  that  it  admits  of  nei- 
ther a  Beforehand,  nor  an  Afterward,  neither  of  being  halv- 
ed or  doubled,  of  being  increased  or  diminished,  divided 
or  pluralised.  Yet  it  is  not  a  less  incontestible  fact  than  a 
curious  one,  that  the  very  word  of  the  Greek  upon  which 
the  belief  of  endless  misery  is  founded,  is  many  times  in 
the  Scriptures  spoken  of  as  having  every  one  of  these  vari- 
ous characteristics  of  ordinary  Time.  We  would  have  this 
point  well  observed,  for  it  is  an  irrefutable  and  simple  de- 
monstration of  the  frequent  usage  of  olam,  aion,  etc.  in  oth- 
er senses  beside  that  with  which  they  are  invested  when 
applied  to  God.  Once  allow  that  the  words  we  are  consid- 
ering are  invariable  in  their  signification  of  endlessness, 
and  you  open  the  most  prolific  source  of  absurdities  that  can 
be  contrived.  Translate  these  words  uniformly  with  the 
eternity  sense,  and  we  shall  have  an  abundance  of  the  most 
incongruous  phrases  for  our  pains,  such  as  eternity  of  eter- 
nities,— all  the  days  of  eternity  even  unto  the  end, — eternity 


290  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

GTirf  FURTHER, — foT  clemity  and  eternity,  etc.  We  will 
point  out  the  references  to  ihc  principal  places  where  the 
form  of  the  ivords  thus  evince  the  limited  signification. 

We  will  first  notice  that  duplicated  form,  as  in  the  Eng- 
lish,/or  ewer  and  ever.  This  is  considered  an  evidence 
of  the  natural  insufficiency  of  that  original  word  in  itself  to 
express  endless  duration,  inasmuch  as,  if  the  word  once 
written  signi^es  eternity,  being  written  again  in  addition  the 
two  tog-ether  do  not  make  orif;  eternitT/,  but  two  eternities, 
which  is  an  anomalous  absurdity;  while  \f  ola?n  [ever,]  im- 
plies but  a  limited  period,  all  the  doubling  of  it  that  may 
be  done,  never  can  make  it  amount  to  Eternity.  So,  the 
arofument  for  endless  torture  founded  upon  the  passage  that 
contains  the  phrase  'day  and  7iig//t,  forever  and  kvek,'  an- 
nihilates iiseli  hy  proving  too  ?nuch  ;  it  proves  that  God 
will  torment  'the  beast  and  false  prophet'  during  two  eterni- 
ties,—that  is,  just  to/ce  as  long  as  He    Himself  shall  live! 

If  it  be  objected  that  the  word  is  thus  duplicated  for  sake 
of  emphasis;  we  reply,  this  is  true ;  but  it  is  the  limited, 
not  the  injinite  senss,  which  thus  requires  and  admits  of  ex- 
pansion by  means  of  emphalical  appendages  ;  and  we  refer 
to  Isa.  XXX.  8,  Jer,  vii.  7,  and  xxv.  5,  wherein  the  objec- 
tor will  readily  concede  that  earthly  time  is  spoken  of,  for 
confirmation  that  the  phrase /ore?;er  and  ever  is  sometimes 
employed  in  a  limited  sense. 

Three  times  in  the  Hebrew  of  the  Old  Testament  occurs 
the  sentence,  \forever  and  beyond  it.  Though  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  an  afterward  to  Eternity,  yet  we  see,  that  the 
same/orcfer  during  which  'the  beast  and  false  prophet' 
were  tormented,  does  admit  of  an  afterward.  And  this  co- 
incides well  with  Heb.  xii.  11. 

One  instance  of  this,  yet  a  more  remarkable  one  still,  is 
found  in  the  New  Testament,  2  Cor.  iv.  17, — the  phrase, 
•far  more  exceeding  Aionon.'' 

Four  times  the  New  Testament  speaks  of  the  Beginning 
ofAiori;  Luke  i.  70,  Acts  iii.  21,  Rom.  xvi.  25,  Eph.  iii. 
9.  Then  this  word  is  of  finite  signification,  for  Eternity 
is  withou.  beginning.  Another  collateral  argument  for  the 
fact  of  this  word's  variableness,  which  we  will  suggest  here. 


SEASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  291 

is<  that  it  is  frequently  applied  to  God,  who  comprehends 
all  the  past  eternity  as  well  as  \.\\q  future  ;  though  when  it 
is  applied  to  the  glory  of  salvittion,  it  can  concern  only  the 
future.  If  it  be  said  that  the  bliss  of  creature  iinmortaliiy  is 
derived  from  God,  and  so  may  likewise  be  said  to  be  eternal 
in  the  ^rea^er  sense ;  then  we  answer  that  this  affords  a 
strong  reason  that  misery  and  sin  are  not  eternal, — they 
have  not,  like  righteousness  and  glory,  an  eternal  root  in 
God. 

Moreover,ihere  is  a  period  three  times  referred  to,'BEF0RE' 
the  Beginning  of  Aion.  1  Cor.  ii.  7  ;  2  Tim.  i.  9  ;  Titus 
i.  2.  How  would  these  passages  sound,  translated,  'before 
Eternity  began  ? 

Six  times  occurs  the  phrase  'the  End  of  Aion  ;'  the  very 
word  which  quulifips  the  'fire'  and  'punishment'  into  which 
*the  nations'  which  were  eeparatetl  to  the  left  hand,  'went 
away.'  Yet  this  word  constitutes  the  sole  authority  for  the 
monstrous  sentiment  of  endless  woe  !  The  references  to  the 
places  where  the  above  phrase  is  used,  are  the  following: 
Mat.  xiii.  39,  40,  49;  xxiv.  3;  xxviii.  20;  Heb.  ix.  26, 

'  The  Ends  of  Aion,' — 1  Cor.  x.  11,  is  another  form  of  ex- 
pression which  proves  the  inconstancy  of  that  word  to  its 
€ternal  sense. 

The  proper  eternity,  as  we  have  said,  does  not  admit  of 
the  plural ;  yet  the  eternity  which  aio7i,  etc.,  frequently  de- 
signates, does  admit  of  the  plural  form,  as  is  shown  in  Col. 
i.  26,  Eph.  ii.  7,  and  others. 

We  find  quite  a  number  of  passages,  of  which  the  follow- 
ing are  a  few,  wherein  the  expression  '//t?s,'  and  'this  pres- 
ent Aion'  occurs, — a  form  which  plainly  confines  its  signifi- 
cation to  time.  Mark  iv.  19,  Luke  xvi.  8,  Rom.  xii.  2, 
2  Cor  iv.  4. 

Also,  an  'Aion  to  come'  is  several  times  alluded  to. in  con- 
tradistinction to  a  present  or  former  Aion.  Mat,  xii.  32, Mark 
X.  30,  Eph,  i,  21,  Heb.  vi,  5.      'Aions  to  come,' — Eph.  ii.  7. 

Thus  plentiful,  various,  and  plain,  is  the  Scriptural  war- 
rant for  our  limitation  of  this  word  to  indpfinite  time,  in  the 
few  instances  where  it  is  applied  to  national  and  individual 
punishment.     All  must  acknowledge  that  the  doctrine   of 


292  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

endless  misery  is  but  very  miserably  sustained,  indeed, 
while  it  rests  upon  such  a  chamelion-like  word,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  great  fewness  of  places  in  the  Divine  word, 
in  which  even  that  is  written  where  retribution  is  the  theme. 
We  should  like  to  see  the  Scriptural  terms  on  which  Uni- 
versalism  is  built,  thus  fairly  taken  out  of  our  hands,  as 
it  seems  so  easy  for  us  to  do,  with  reference  to  the  grounds 
of  endless  misery. 

A  long  chapter  might  be  made  of  extracts  from  a  large 
number  of  the  best  biblical  critics,  in  confirmation  of  the 
fact  we  have  above  stated  with  regard  to  the  word  sometimes 
rendered  everlasting,  &c.,  viz:  that  it  is  the  connection  that 
fixes  the  signification  of  the  word,  and  not  the  word  that 
governs  the  connection.  Our  limits  however  prohibit  such 
a  collation. 

The  instance  in  Mat.  xxv.  46,  where  this  same  word  that 
is  applied  to  the  punishment  of  'the  cursed,'  is  also  affixed 
to  the  'life'  of  the  justified,  is  relied  upon  with  more  confi- 
dence than  all  the  rest  of  the  Bible,  as  a  most  irrefragible 
demonstration  of  endless  misery.  We  ofTer  the  following 
short  reasons  for  denying  that  endless  punishment  is  taught 
in  this  passage  : 

1.  Many  parts  of  the  context  are  radically  inconsistent 
with  any  future-state  application  of  the  chapter.  It  is  man- 
ifestly a  prophecy  spoken  to  his  disciples  by  our  Saviour,  re- 
lating to  the  approaching  destruction  of  the  Jewish  civil  and 
religious  kingdom,  and  of  the  establishment  of  a  spiritual 
one  among  the  Gentiles,  in  its  stead.  The  punishment  spo- 
ken of  therefore,  was  a  national  one. 

2.  The  word  translated  'punishment,'  always  denotes,  and 
is  often  rendered,  chastisement,  correction,  penal  reforma- 
tion. Endless  chastisement,  or  punishment,  is  a  contardic- 
tion  in  terms.  And  this  agrees  with  Eomans  xith,  which 
plainly  teaches  that  the  'everlasting  contempt,'  the  'perpetu- 
al reproach,'  and  the  'everlasting  destruction  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord,''  of  the  Jews,  shall  come  to  a  joyful  end. 

3.  Twenty  passages  of  Scripture  might  be  produced  to 
show  that  ^eternal  life''  may  be  entered  upon  in  this  world. 
It  is  a  life  of  such  Divine  vitality,  that  once  commenced  oii 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  293 

earth,  it  never  perishes.  This  is  why  aioiiion  may  properly 
be  applied  to  a  punishment  inflicted  in  the  earth,  and  a  bles- 
sedness commenced  in  the  earth. 

4.  The  Scriptures  furnisli  three  other  instances  where 
the  term  'aion'  or  the  like  is  twice  used  in  the  same  connec- 
tion— once  with  reference  to  what  is  necessarily  endless,  and 
once  respecting  things  necessarily  finite  in  duration.  'The 
everlasting  mounlains  were  scattered,  the  everlasting  hillg 
did  bow.  His  ways  are  everlasting.' — Hab.  iii.  6.  'Kepi 
secret  sincR  the  everlasting  age  began  ;  -  -  according  to  the 
commandment  of  the  Everlasting  God.' — Rom.  xvi.  25, 
26.  'In  hope  of  eternal  life,  which  God,  that  cannot  lie, 
promised  befnrp  th.p  pternal  age  began.'      Titus  i.  2. 

We  close  this  article  by  staling  one  more  proof  of  the 
finite  signiHcation  n{ forever,  everlasting,  etc.,  when  applied 
to  punishment.  All  the  ancient  Church-Fathers  who  ad- 
vocated unirersal  redemption,  frequently  used  the  Greek 
phrase  for  everlasting  'punishmeyit,  in  their  writings,  by 
which  they  intended  a  limited,  but  protracted,  disciplinary 
punishment, — not  endless,  Deific  retaliation. 


18 


.'8W  EEASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 


A  COMPARATIVE  VIEW 

Of  the  Chief  Differences  between  the  Three  Distinctive  The- 
ological Systems  which  Divide  the  Christian  Church, 


'I  ofTer  thee  three  things:  choose  thee  one  of  theni.' — 2  Satn.  xxiv.  12. 

I.      The  Design  of  God  in  His  Creation. 

CALVINISM. 

I.  God  created  the  universe  in  order  that  He  might  won- 
drously  exemplify  the  Jjlory  of  His  infinite  Majesty,  Sove- 
reignty, Power,  and  Wisdom.  A  sublime,  universal  and 
eternal  exhibition  of  the  Glory  of  His  being  and  attributes, 
was  the  special  End  to  be  attained  by  the  creation. 

II.  God  will  not  be  dishonoured,  but  glorified,  by  the  en- 
trance, providences,  and  endless  existence  of  what  we  call 
Evil,  as  well  as  bv  His  dispensations  and  the  everlasting 
reign  of  Good. 

III.  The  utmost  acme  of  the  Divine  Glory  will  be  trium- 
phantly realized, 

ARMINI*ANISM. 

I.  Rational,  moral,  and  sentient  beings  were  created  by 
the  Lord  for  the  purpose  chiefly,  of  manifesting  His  Good- 
ness and  Holiness,  in  conferring  and  multiplying  the  glory 
of  His  own  beatitude  and  excellency,  to  as  great  an  extent 
as  He  conveniently  and  consistently  could. 

II.  Evil  is  altogether  the  opposite  of  God's  nature,  and 
His  purposes,  so  that  He  can  derive  no  true  glory  from  its 
eternal  existence,  but  only  from  what  is  holy  and  good. 

III.  God  shall  derive  from  His  Creation  as  great  a 
degree  of  glory  as  the  combination  of  His  attributes  shall  be 
able  to  achieve;  but  Lucifer,  also,  the  usurped  Arch-Deity 
cf  Evil,  must  secure  from  the  creation  as  great  a  degree  of 
glory,  as  the  fearful  might  of  His  Power  shall  be  able  to  se- 
cure to  Him. 


llEASONS   FOR    OUR    HOPE.  295 

UNIVEBSALISM. 

I.  Gt»d  did  not  create  the  universe  in  order  to  augment,  or 
merely  to  display  the  glory  of  His  own  nature  and  attri- 
butes ;  for  He  required  nothing  to  increase  His  own  perfect, 
self-derived  felicity  and  glory.  Infinite  Benevolence,  and 
not  self-honour,  was  the  instigator  of  the  Sovereign  Spirit 
to  the  work  of  creation,  of  which  the  intelligent  was  to  be 
the  primary,  the  highest  object  or  His  goodness  and  skill. 
The  great  purpose  then,  of  the  Divine  Being,  in  the  creation 
of  the  universe,  was  the  propagation  of  His  own  gloiious 
rtalure  and  powers  upon  beings  filled  to  receive  them,  dur- 
ing an  interminable  existence  of  constant  advancement. 

n.  God  is  Supreme,  and  Evil,  therefore,  finite  and  sub^ 
ordinate.  Evil  shall  not  prevail  to  alter,  coiitroul,  or  defeat 
the  purposes  of  the  Most  High.  To  the  Omniscient  Eye 
there  can  be  no  absolute  confusion  in  all  the  elements  of 
being, — no  such  thing  as  unmixed,  total  evil,  much  less  in- 
finite and  eternal.  Under  the  universal  sway  of  limitless 
wisdom,  all  things  are  working  together  in  a  magnificent, 
invisible  harmony,  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  one,  origi- 
nal purpose.  Thus,  the  transient  but  medialive  existence  of 
evil  will  also  illustrate  the  glory  of  the  Eternal  Wisdom, 
because  it  shall  be  consummated  by  the  universal  and  ever- 
lasting prevalence  of  Good. 

HI.  All  that  the  infinite  Wisdom  could  devise,  all  that 
the  infinite  Goodness  and  Love  could  conceive,  for  the  end- 
less diffusion  of  happiness  and  knowledge,  the  infinite  Pow- 
er is  amply  able  to  execute, 

U.     The  Nature  of  Evil. 

CALVINISM. 

The  existence  of  Evil  is  to  the  Almighty  no  unforeseen, 
or  calamitous  development  of  the  creation,  which  shall  for- 
ever interfere  with,  impede,  or  frustrate.  His  original  de- 
sires and  intentions.  Nothing  can  transpire  in  all  the  uni- 
verse, without  the  Divine  agency,  much  less  con-rr-.-y  to 
His  determinate  will  and  pleasure.  Evil,  then,  was  pre- 
destined to  exist,  and  is  an  inseparable  portion   of  the  eler- 


296  REASONS    FOR    OTTR    HOPE. 

nal  purpose.  It  is  an  instrument  of  God's  inscrutable  Wis- 
dom over  which  His  Omnipotence  possesses  the  most  illim- 
itable controul,  and  has  no  power  of  itself,  nor  in  conjunction 
with  any  limited  power,  to  overstep  the  bounds  of  the  ever- 
lasting Decree. 

ARMINIANISM. 

God  foresaw  in  the  beginning  of  creation  that  the  exis- 
tence of  evil,  and  of  evil  beings,  would  be  absolutely  una- 
voidnhle  if  He  created,  and  that  the  blight  and  dpsniation 
which  they  must  inevitably  occasion,  would  be  utterly  irre- 

inediuble  and  uiiouiiHullablt;  tu  a  fearfully  cnlamitona  extent, 
and  during  the  ever-flowing  ages  of  eternity.  But 
the  greatness  of  His  Wisdom  was  exercised  to  devise 
the  best  possible  consummation  of  things  which  His  Power 
was  sufficient  to  carry  out;  and  perceiving  that  He  was  able 
to  secure  in  the  end,  allowing  for  all  possible  contingency, 
a  greater  amount  of  good  than  evil,  of  happiness  than  mise- 
ry, in  the  aggregate,  He  chose  rather  to  create^  than  to  de- 
prive millions  of  immortal  intelligences  of  the  glory  of  end- 
less beatitude, — though  it  were  necessarily  at  the  expense  of 
eternal  woe  and  sinfulness  to  myriads  of  the  brethren  of  the 
saved.  Deity,  then,  is  neither  to  be  called,  the  direct  or  in- 
direct Author  of  Evil,  nor  of  the  terrific  doom  to  which  so 
vast  a  proportion  of  His  offspring  shall  be  consigned  ;  be- 
cause His  grace  and  power  are  in  thislife,  as  much  as  is  de- 
served, active  in  endeavouring  to  win  to  repentance  as  many 
of  the  sinful  as  they  can. 

UNIVERSALISM. 

God  himself  is  the  Only  Perfect.  It  were  a  contradiction 
in  terms  to  suppose  that  He  could  produce  a  universe  of  in- 
telligent beings,  as  high,  infinite,  perfect,  and  unliable  to  err 
as  Himself.  Everything  however  is  created  with  a  perfec- 
tion which  is  harmoniously  adapted  to  its  rank  and  capacity 
in  the  scale  of  being,  though  all  must  lack  the  infinite  mea- 
sure of  excellency,  which  must  be  His  alone.  Evil  is  not  a 
positive,  not  a  created  thing,  but  a  negative  principle,  a  ne- 
cessary one,  the  effect  of  imperfection.  Whether  the  Power 
of  God  was  sufficient  to  usher  at  once  into  being  at  the  be- 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  297 

ginning,  by  a  single  effort  of  Omnipotence,  the  whole  uni- 
verse exalted  to  the  almost  infinite  degree  of  perfectness 
which  He  was  able  to  evolve  from  the  progressive  system, 
is  not  a  question  for  speculation.  We  cannot  doubt  that 
there  is  with  Deity  a  choice  of  alternatives,  and  that  the  in- 
finite wisdom  never  can  fail  in  the  selection  of  the  best, — 
This  attribute  of  the  Divinity  has  dictated  the  establishment 
of  rank,  action,  and  progress,  rather  than  equality  and  im- 
passable maturity,  as  the  best  means  of  realizing  the  great 
purpose  of  creation,  and  who  can  believe  that  the  system 
which  is  thus  instituted,  will  not  accomplish  the  end  in  view 
so  well  ? 

But  evil,  being  of  after  origination,  and  not  any  thing 
that  is  by  necessity  irradicable  or  eternal,  must  have  an 
end,  and  would  not  have  been  permitted  an  existence  un- 
less it  were  a  mean  for  the  attainment  of  higher  good  than 
could  otherwise  have  been  realized.  It  is  opposed  to  the 
nature  of  God,  and  in  itself  to  the  happiness  of  His  crea- 
tures, and  having  no  eternal  root  or  basis  in  Him,  it  is  but  an 
extraneous,  excrescent  thing,  and  must  in  the  end  be  utterly 
done  away.  This  life  is  but  the  initial  condition  of  the  hu- 
man spirit,  and  therefore  its  most  imperfect  one.  The  little 
spark  of  its  Maker's  nature  with  which  it  is  here  entrusted, 
is  a  leaven  which  shall  purge  the  whole  mass  of  its  impu- 
rities,— a  inextinguishable  light,  which  must  kindle  to  ce- 
lestial lustre,  and  leave  not  a  crevice  of  darkness  unillumed. 
The  very  evils  and  darkness  we  deplore  are  ordained  to  be 
instrumental  in  awakening  the  energies  of  the  immortal 
race.  The  appointed  experiences  of  every  man  shall  ele- 
vate his  nature  by  degrees,  cause  him  continually  to  out- 
grow some  portion  of  his  imperfection,  that  nobler  power* 
shall  be  assumed. 

Evil,  then,  is  a  means,  a  secondary  cause,  and  not  a  pri- 
mary principle,  which  can  ever  settle  itself  upon  the  immor- 
tal soul,  as  an  end.  It  has  a  mission  to  perform,  a  Divine 
mission,  which  shall  fully  result  in  its  appointed  object.— 
Its  time  in  comparison  with  eternity  is  so  short  that  when  its 
dusky  clouds  shall  be  forever  swallowed  up  of  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness,  its  very  memory  shall  be  blotted  out.      It  is 


293  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

no  actual  portion  of  the  great  structure  of  the  unlrerse,  but 
only  a  piece  of  llie  apparatus  which  is  necessary  for  its  pro- 
tracted construction,  it  is  not  a  pnrt  of  the  stupendous  tem- 
ple itself,  hut  only  the  scaffold  ;  cumbersome,  unseemly,  and 
even  dangerous — marring  the  grandeur  of  the  lofty  columns, 
and  imposing  arches,  and  the  harmony  of  its  beautiful  pro- 
portions, and  impairing  also  its  usefulness,  for  a  season  ;^- 
but  filially,  the  scalfold's  use  is  irrequisite,  one  by  one  its  un- 
shapely shafts  are  put  away,  though  each  was  indispensa- 
ble until  then,  leaving  not  a  vestige  of  its  deformity  behind, 
— and  the  magnificent  work  stands  out  in  living  gorgeous- 
ness  and  perfection,  an  everlasting  glory  to  its  architect. 

III.   Foreknowledge  mid  Foreordiiiation. 

CALVINISM. 

God  not  only  knows,  but  determines  also  the  endless  des- 
tiny of  each  soul  of  man  as  He  creates  it.  Even  to  all  eter- 
nity indeed,  God  foreknew  and  predetermined  that  one  part 
of  the  human  family  should  be  wicked  and  miserable  forev- 
er, and  the  other  part  righteous  and  happy  ;  the  character 
and  destiny  of  every  human  soul  was  appointed  eternal  ages 
ago. 

ARMINIANISM, 

It  is  allowed  that  God  foreknew  that  sin  would  exist  in 
the  world  if  He  should  create  it.  But  creatures  being  free 
and  independent  of  will,  all  human  actions  he  cannot  exactly 
and  fully  comprehend.  Therefore  men  are  not  brought 
into  beino-  directly  into  heaven,  but  first  into  this  world, — a 
state  of  trial  and  probatioii  for  all  human  souls.  [Yet  the 
Arminian  forgets  that  three-fifths  of  the  race  die  in  infancy. 
Why  are  they  taken  to  heaven  without  the  peril  of  'Proba- 
tion?' for  no  probation  in  the  future  life  is  admitted  to  exist. 
Or  why  does  not  God  mercifully  cut  oiXall  in  infancy  rather 
than  expose  them  to  the  danger  of  endless  burning  by  rear- 
ino-  them  up  in  a  world  which  is  under  the  power  of  Satan? 
Or  why  is  not  our  reason  taken  from  us,  that  we  may  at 
lea.-=*  be  granted  the  safety  which  is  thus  secured  to  idiots  ? 
And  It  f.'io  IS  !t  state  of  trial,  on   which  hangs   our  eternal 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  299 

misery  or  glory,  why  is  not  the  same  term  of  it,  and  the 
same  favourable  circumstances,  impartially  granted  to  All? 
Lastly,  why  read  we  nought  of  the  doctrine  of  'Probation' 
in  the  Scriptures  ?]  Eighty  thousand  immortal  human  spi- 
rits are  born  into  this  world  every  day.  It  is  horrible 
to  suppose  that  God  knows  the  fate  of  every  soul  as  He  cre- 
ates it.  It  is  impossible  that  the  Lord  and  Father  of  spirits 
should  create  intelligent  beings  knoving,  and  on  purpose 
that  they  shall,  dwell  with  tormenting  fiends  inhell  forever! 

UNIVERSALISM. 

At  the  birth  of  every  soul,  and  even  in  the  ancient  times 
of  eternity,  it  was  infallibly  known  to  God,  and  purposed, 
that  not  all  the  evils  which  it  and  all  should  undergo,  both 
the  wilful  and  necessary,  should  result  in  final  and  total 
misery,  but  rather  in  their  more  glorious,  eternal  blessed- 
ness. 

IV.    The  Nature  of  Man. 

CALVINISM. 

The  first  man  was  created  perfect ;  but  all  the  rest  of 
mankind,  through  his  fall,  (which  was  a  part  of  the  original 
Decree,  and  not  an  impinging  accident,)  are  made  totally 
depraved,  possessing  no  particle  of  excellency,  but  on  the 
contrary,  wholly  and  continually  averse  to  all  good,  and 
thoroughly  inclined  to  all  evil.  Regeneration,  then,  is  ex- 
clusively the  performance  of  Divine  Grace,  in  which  the. 
creature,  except  as  the  agent,  has  no  part. 

ARMINIANISM. 

All  the  souls  of  men,  through  the  unfortunate  but  inaver- 
tible  fall  of  Adam,  are  necessarily  constituted  totally  depra- 
ved;  so  that  every  infant  soul,  as  it  comes  into  being  here, 
is  utterly  destitute  of  any  inherent  good,  but  a  total  mass  of 
corruption,  incapable  of  doing  good,  and  entirely  prone  to 
sin.  [If  man  is  by  nature  incapable  of  holiness,  and  entire- 
ty prone  to  iniquity,  then  he  is  not  a  'free  agent,' — equally 
competent  to  choose  and  perform  righteousness  as  sin.  Thus 
the  two  mam  pillars  of  Arminianism,  total   depravity  and 


300  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

free  agency,  are  arrayed  in  direct,  contradictory  opposition 
to  each  other.  Again,  if  we  are  totally  depraved,  and  thus 
of  ourselves  impotent  to  do  righteously,  what  can  we  do 
to  accomplish  the  mighty  task  of  salvation  ?  Yet  it  is  the 
chief  distinguishing  principle  of  Arminianism,  that  it  is  the 
creature's  own  fault,  and  not  the  Creator's,  if  it  is  not  saved- 
Hence,  also,  total  depravity,  and  man's  sufficiency  to  gain 
salvation,  are  directly  hostile  doctrines.] 

UNIVERSALISM. 

The  spirits  of  men  are  not  created  perfect,  nor  even  holy 
and  good,  but  merely  innocent ;  a  negative  condition,  as  to 
the  moral  nature,  as  ignorance  to  the  intellectual.  These 
two  natures  are  imparted  to  the  soul  in  germino,  and  the 
design  of  existence  is  to  develope,  strengthen,  and  expand 
their  hidden  powers,  whose  capabilities  are  only  circum- 
scribed by  the  extent  of  universal  nature,  and  God's  own 
infinity  of  perfections.  There  are  no  positively  evil  facul- 
ties inborn  in  the  human  mind,  and  all  our  sins  are  commit- 
ted through  the  perversion  of  powers  that  are  designed  for, 
and  only  in  harmony  with,  good.  It  is  through  the  agency 
of  exterior  things  and  outward  circumstances,  that  all  men 
have  fewer  or  greater  tendencies  to  evil,  and  by  which  the 
character  in  this  life  is  chiefly  formed.  Circumstances 
must  sometimes  inevitably  control  the  man,  though  at  other 
times  the  man  may  have  power  to  controul  the  circumstan- 
ces. But  the  characters  of  all  must  inevitably  receive  evil 
impressions  from  these  influences  to  a  greater  or  less  extent, 
80  that  every  individual  in  this  world,  is  inseparably  both 
good  and  sinful.  None  are  entirely  sinful,  none  are  per- 
fectly good.  Thus,  the  human  family  is  not  literally  divisi- 
ble into  the  two  great,  far-estranged  classesof  men,of  whom 
we  are  wont  to  speak, — sinners  and  saints,  good  and  evil. 
•There  is  none  good,  but  one,  that  is  God  ;'  'all  have  sinned.' 

V.  Evil,  with  respect  to  God's  Purposes. 

CALVINISM. 

All  the  ways  of  man,  all  the  workings  of  nature,  and   all 
the  providences  of  heaven,  are  harmoniously  together  work- 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  301 

ing  out  the  complete  accomplishment  of  God's  original  and 
immutable  Purposes. 

ARMINIANISM. 

The  sins  of  mankind  are  all  in  opposition  to  the  good 
pleasure  and  plans  of  God.— Being  obliged  to  create  all 
men  since  the  unlucky  fall  of  Adam,  totally  depraved,  also 
largely  defeats  the  good  accomplishment  of  His  will. — Pla- 
cing the  souls  He  creates,  who  are  already  wholly  prone  to 
evil,  in  a  world  full  of  evil  and  temptations,  and  within  the 
fatal  power  of  Satan  ;  this  likewise  magnifies  the  chances 
against  salvation,  and  consequently  baffles  His  Purposes. — 
The  penally  He  has  affixed  to  unforgiven  sin,  endless  tor- 
ments, forever  nullifies  the  intentions  of  His  creation. — The 
ceasing  of  the  Spirit's  efibrts  to  save,  and  especially  the 
irrevocable  abandonment  of  the  sinner  at  death,  when  the 
divine  compassion  and  goodness  which  had  been  exercised 
in  this  life  in  its  behalf  must  be  converted  into  eternal  ven- 
g-eance, — thus,  also,  does  'Justice'  compel  Him  to  destroy 
the  purposes  of  His  Goodness  and  Love  I 

UNiVEKSALlSM. 

The  Wisdom  and  Might  of  God  are  such,  that  He  is  able 
lo  overrule  all  evil  in  good,  to  make  the  transient  existence 
of  sin,  and  all  things,  tributary  to  the  triumphant  consum- 
mation of  His  everlasting  Purposes. 

VI.   The  Criterion  of  Salvation, 

CALVINISM. 

Man  being  incapable  of  himself  of  doing  any  good,  much 
less  of  achieving  by  his  own  efforts,  a  redemption  from  his 
innate  corruption,  but  infinitely  less  still,  inadequate  to  gain 
the  realms  of  immortal  joy, — the  means  of  salvation  are 
wholly  independent  of  himself,  or  of  aught  which  he  can  do  ; 
and  entirely  depend  upon  the  favorable  or  unfavorable  plea- 
sure of  God, — upon  his  eternal,  unalterable  Decree  of  indi- 
vidual election  or  reprobation — upon  His  predestined  gra- 
eiousness  or  curse.     Heaven,  then,  is   not   granted   to  the 

R 


302  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

elect  as  a  reioard,  because  they  cannot  earn  the  unsearcha- 
ble riches  of  the  eternal  mansions,  any  more  than  the  repro- 
bate ;  but  is  an  undeserved  and  impurchasable  gifl  of  God'a 
[partial]  munificence. 

ARMINIANISM. 

No  man,  without  the  Spirit's  aid,  is  sufficient  of  himself 
to  take  the  least  step  towards  his  salvation,  because  he  is 
totally  corrupt,  depraved.  Salvation,  therefore,  is  wrought 
for  the  human  soul,  not  by  itself,  but  by  the  Spirit  of  the 
Grace  of  God.  [This  is  again  contradictory  to  the  free-agen- 
cy principles,  that  we  have  always  the  power  to  choose  the 
good  as  well  as  the  evil, — that  we  are  always  able  either  to 
resist  or  to  receive  the  Spirit  of  God, — that  it  lies  altogether 
with  ourselves  whether  we.  shall  remain  depraved  or  be 
'born  again,' — whether  we  shall  have  the  faith,  or  remain 
unbelievers, — whether  we  shall  be  saved,  or  damned  !] 

UNIVERSALISBI. 

Salvation  is  commenced  even  in  this  life,  when  men  for- 
sake the  evil  of  their  doings,  and  turn  unto  the  service  of  the 
Lord.  The  salvation  of  this  life,  in  contradistinction  to  that 
complete  redemption  and  spiritual  glorification  which  en- 
sues in  the  future,  is  the  covenant  of  faith  and  works,  and 
these, — -faith  and  luorks, — are  the  conditions  and  criterions 
of  the  salvation  of  this  present  world.  But  the  Salvation  of 
the  immortal  state,  which  involves  the  eternal  pleasure  and 
purpose  of  God  for  the  final  holiness  of  all  souls,  concerns 
the  Covenant  of  Grace,  and  more  radicjilly  depends  for 
its  fulfilment  upon  the  Divine  Power. 

VII.  The  Nnmberofthe  Saved,  and  Certainty  of  Salvation. 

CALVINISM. 

The  salvation  of  the  Elect,  whose  number  is  so  'certain 
and  definite  that  it  can  neither  be  increased  or  diminished,' 
is  infallibly  certain  as  the  Purpose  is  unchangeable,  and  the 
might  of  God  omnipotent  to  perform  it.  The  number  of  the 
damned,  also,  and  the  certainty  of  their  perdition,  is,  in  the 
omniscient  counsels  of  heaven,  equally  well   determined. 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  303 

ARMINIANISM. 

The  salvation  o^  allioho  save  /hemselves,  is  perhaps  pretty 
certain,  that  is,  as  long  as  they  choose  to  stay  sar.ed ;  for 
there  has  been  backsliding  from  heaven,  and  it  is  possible 
there  may  be  again,  as  we  have  no  evidence  but  tlial  tlie 
created  will  is  as  independe  nl  of  God's  as  ever,  and  as  com- 
petent therefore  to  resist  His  commands.  But  all  who  are 
regenerated  in  this  world,  (and  these  constitute  ten  thousand 
to  one  in  the  human  family,)  are  hopelessly  lost  forever,  be- 
cause there  is  no  repentance,  ciiange,  or  redemption  after 
death. 

UNIVEKSALISM. 

All  men  experience  the  conditional  salvation  of  the  pres- 
ent life  whom  God  intends.  These  are  the  elect,  the  'spe- 
cially saved.'  the  'the  'first  fruits  unto  God  and  the  Lamb,' 
the  sure  earnest  of  the  salvation  of  'every  nation,  and  kin- 
dred, and  people  and  tongue.' 

VIII.   The  Nature  of  Salvation. 

CALVINISM. 

Salvation  is  the  redemption  of  the  lost  from  the  Wrath 
of  God  ; — rather,  as  the  elect  were  never  truly  lost,  nor  lia- 
ble to  that  Wrath,  as  the  non-elect,  their  only  salvation  is 
from  the  totally  depraved  condition  in  which  God  first  cre- 
ates them  as  well  as  others. 

ARMINIANISM. 

The  salvation  of  the  saints  consists  in  their  being  unde- 
servedly delivered  from  the  influence,  dominion,  and  eternal 
torture  of  Satan  and  his  angels;  and  in  being  miraculously 
'born  again'  from  their  natural  total  depravity. 

UNIVERSALTSM. 

Christ  came  to  deliver  us, — all  souls, — from,  the  sphere  o! 
temptation  and  sin ;  the  appetite,  capability,  and  motives 
for  sinning;  the  darkness  and  tyranny  of  ignorance,  error, 
fear,  and  mortal  passions;  and  from  the  consequent  anguish, 
suffering,  sorrow,  and  spiritual  death,  which  those  evils  en« 


304  REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 

tail  upon  us  ;  but  not  from  any  earned  or  necessary  pmiish- 
ment,  nor  from  any  fabled  universe  of  monstrous,  endless 
woe  in  the  future,  and  bug-bear  fiends  of  torture. 

^    IX.  Nature  of  Divine  Punishment. 

CALVINISM. 

As  man  emanates  from  the  hand  of  his  Creator,  since  Ad- 
am, in  a  complete  and  absolute  state  of  depravity,  God  does 
not  unreasonably  require  him  to  reform  himself,  which  is 
an  impossibility  ;  and  because  he  naturally  and  necessarily 
pursues  the  evil  course  which  Is  the  law  of  his  nature  and 
the  path  of  his  fa.e,  God  does  not  unjustly  hold  him  amena- 
ble to  penal  chastisement,  neither  for  his  doings,  which  are 
necessitate,  nor  for  his  evil  nature,  which  is  hereditary, 
and  which  no  independent  self-energies  could  have  procur- 
ed, any  more  than  they  could  abolish.  Therefore,  the  fu- 
ture endless  sufferings,  which  it  is  His  sovereign  Pleasure 
to  inflict  upon  the  reprobate,  is  not  strictly  punishment,  but 
is  in  order  to  vindicate  the  honor  and  royalty  of  heaven,  to 
exemplify  the  dignity  of  His  holy  Law,  and  to  demonstrate 
to  the  saints,  'the  glory  of  His  Vindictive  Justice.' 

ARMINIAKISM. 

The  infinite  torments  to  which  God  must  abandon  the  in- 
corrigible of  His  offspring  at  death,  is  (1st,)  in  consequenee 
of  their  just  deserts, — for  every  sin,  great  or  small,  any  num- 
ber, many  or  few,  of  all  men,  believers  and  unbelievers, 
rightly  merit  His  everlasting  curse;  (2d,)  in  o-der  to  dis- 
play his  infinite  hatjed  of  sin,  [sinners  ;]  and  (3d_,)  that  the 
saints  and  angels  that  are  saved,  may  be  restrained  from 
falling  from  their  glorified  condition. 

UNIVERSALISM. 

The  punitive  administrations  of  Divine  Justice  are  never 
revengent, — not  the  infliction  of  evil  for  evil's  sake,  not  re- 
taliative  ;  neither  are  they  unfust,  but  ever  graciously  and 
wisely  proportionate  to  circumstances  and  usefulness  ;  nor 
are  they  much  less  cruel,  but  always  tempered  with  mercy, 
and  terminated  in  forgiveness.     They  are   inavertible,   not 


REASONS    FOR    OTJR    HOPE,  305 

to  be  escaped  either  by  'anxious-seats,' or  by  jijroa:?/.  They 
are  speedy ^  overtaking  or  growing  out  of  the  sin,  as  surely 
and  as  immed'alely  as  the  consequence  follows  the  cause. 
They  are  parental,  and  salutary,  having  in  view  the  humil- 
iation, reformation,  and  higher  good  of  the  sufferers.  And 
because  the  sinfulness  of  man  is  only  injurious  to  himself, 
and  not  to  God,  we  do  not  believe  that  He  scrvxpulously 
hordes  up  in  the  book  of  His  remembrance,  every  evil  oc- 
currence of  human  life,  for  the  purpose  of  wreaking  out 
eternal,  cruel,  and  useless  revenge  upon  them,  and  repro- 
duce those  evils  infinitely  magnified  in  degree,  in  the  fu- 
ture life,  when  time  and  death  shall  have  in  a  great  mea- 
sure consumed  and  rectified  them.  It  is  worthier  of  God  to 
believe  that  He  is  less  concerned  for  the  punctilious  exac- 
tion of  the  e^^e  for  eye,  and  tooth  for  tooth,  than  He  is  to 
bring  his  children  out  of  the  furnace  of  sin  and  [misery  into 
which  they  have  fallen. 

X.  Extent  and  Duration  of  God^s  Love. 

CALVINISM. 

Both  here  and  hereafter,  eternally  the  same,  God  loves, 
and  wulUove,  and  be  gracious  and  merciful  to,  only  the  cho- 
sen election  of  His  favour. 

ARMINIANISM, 

Being  th'^  Creator  and  Father,  and  rightful  Owner  of  all 
the  souls  of  men,  God  makes  them  at  birth,  and  until  they 
reach  'the  line  of  accountability,'  just  as  they  are,  and  loves 
alike  as  far  as  He  makes  them, — though  afterwards  only 
more  or  less,  according  as  we  live  unto  Him,  or  become  the 
property  of  Satan.  In  other  words,  as  often  as  we  change, 
so  often  does  the  mind  of  the  Lord  towards  us  also  change 
from  pleasure  to  displeasure,  from  love  to  hatred, or  the  con- 
trary. Still,  by  the  ministry  of  His  Spirit  he  endeavours 
to  expurgate  as  much  of  the  total  depravity  that  He  has  be- 
stowed upon  us,  as  he  can,  and  to  reconcile  Himself,  and 
pacify  His  wrath  toward  as  many  as  possible,  in  this  life, 
[only;]  but  the  in.stant  death  severs   the    immortal   nature 


306  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

from  its  clayey  vehicle,  His  love,  pity,  mercy  and  goodness 
towards  all  but  the  favoured  saved,  are  exhausted  and  put 
out  forever. 

UNIVERSALISM. 

The  Father  of  the  spirits  of  All  Flesh,  is  the  Benefactor, 
Preserver,  and  Friend  of  All,  now  and  Torever.  He  is  im- 
partially, unchangeably  good,  inflicts,  or  suffers  to  be  produ- 
ced no  useless  ill,  and  will  continue  to  be  the  Kedeemer  of 
the  sons  of  men  as  long  as  there  remains  a  rebellious  soul 
in  the  universe. 


XI.    The  Object  and  Result  of  Christ^s  Mission. 

CALVINISM. 

Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world  to  seek,  minister  to,  to 
pray,  suffer,  and  die  for,  only  those  whom  the  Father  loves. 

Every  soul  to  whom  the  eternal  love  of  God  extends,  and 
for  whom  Jesus  Christ  was  offered  a  sacrifice,  will  inevita- 
bly be  saved. 

ARMINIANISM. 

The  Son  of  Man  came  into  the  world  to  placate  the  terri- 
ble Justice  and  Wrath  of — Himself,  for  he  is  God, — to  suf- 
fer in  his  own  innocent  person,  the  universal,  endless  dam- 
nation which  the  guilt  of  Mankind  merited,  and  thus  [un- 
justly] redeem  the  race  from  the  due  punishment  of  its  ini- 
quity,— to  Ojfer  repentance  iiiul  salvation  to  all. 

Nations  and  generations  and  myriads  of  the  immortal  off- 
spring of  God,  and  for  whom  Christ  most  amply  atoned, 
shall  suffer  in  body  and  soul  the  horrors  of  eternal  misery. 

TJNIVERSALISM. 

The  Saviour  of  the  world  came  to  be  the  propitiation  for 
the  sin-  of  every  mortal  being — to  make  an  atonement  for 
all  evil — to  reconcile  all  souls  to  their  Maker. 

The  Divine  Wisdon)  lins  appointed  the  most  infallible 
means  in  connection  with  the  nli^sion  of  Jesus  for  the  ulti- 
mate willing  obedience  of  every  subject  of  his  kingdom. 


REASONS   FOR   OUR   HOPE. 


XII.  Extent  of  Divine  Poioer  over  the  Moral  Creation. 

CALVINISM. 

All  the  devastations  of  evil,  all  impurity,  suffering,  death 
and  hell,  are  entirely  remediable,  convertible  into  good,  and 
cou  d  be  instantaneously  restored,  would  it  as  much  exem- 
plify His  glory,  at  the  flat  of  Omnipotent  Jehovah. 

ARMINIANISM. 

^  Evil  is  infinite,  and  therefore  irremediable,  for  the  Lord 
himself  is  no  more  than  Infinite.  There  must  necessarily 
be  an  endless  hell  as  well  as  an  endless  heaven.  If  the  re- 
ward of  the  righteous  is  an  eternal  one,  the  punishment  of 
sinners  is  also  eternal.  The  kingdom  of  the  Mighty  Adver- 
sary having  once  gained  a  foothold  in  the  universe,  must 
necessarily  be  as  immutable  as  God's  own  throne. 

UNIVERSALISBI. 

God  has  appointed  the  most  wise  and  best  possible  means 
for  the  accomplishment  of  a  perfectly  glorious  end  ;  so  that 
it  is  equally  impious  to  w^ish  that  He  would  at  once  annihi- 
late imperfection,  as  to  suppose  that  He  cannot  or  will  not 
ultimately  do  so. 

XIII.     The  Proportion  letiveen  the  Power  and  Goodness 
of  God. 

CALVINISM. 

God  is  infinitely  Able  to  redeem  and  glorify  all  intelligent 
beings,  but  Will  not. 

ARMINIANISM. 

The  Lord  would  be  ivi/ling  to  save  all  the  creatures  of 
His  hands,  if  He  cozdd, — or  were  it  not  inconsistent  with 
the  awful  demands  of  Ju-tice. 

UNIVERSALISM. 

The  Moral  Power  of  God  is  ci-extensive  with  His  Phys- 
tCfflZ  Power  ;  and  His  Goodness,  and  Mercy,  and  Love,  and 
Wisdom,  are  all  commensurate  with  His  Power. 


308  REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE. 

XIV.   The  Destiny  of  Infants,   Idiots,  the   Heathen,   and 
Moral  Non-Professors. 

CALVINISM. 

Elect  infants  will  be  saved,  but  not  the  non-elect.  All 
the  millions  of  the  heathen,  past,  living,  and  to  come,  who 
are  not  elected  and  justified  through  the  Gospel,  must  be 
swept  away  in  one  vast  avalanche,  to  the  hideous  caverns 
of  endless  woe.  Neither  is  there  the  slightest  possibility 
of  salvation  for  any  in  Christian  lands,  who  do  not  profess 
and  support  religion,  though  their  lives  may  be  in  ordinary 
respects  never  so  praiseworthy  and  exemplary. 

ARMINIANISM. 

All  infants  and  children  that  have  not  crossed  the  line  of 
accoimtability ,  dying,  are  immediately  received  into  heav- 
en, (without  the  process  of  regeneration  from  their  inborn 
depravity,  and  without  development  of  the  spiritual  or  in- 
tellectual nature, — for  there  is  no  change  after  death.)  All 
idiots,  except  those  who  were  once  rational,  but  sinners,  and 
those  among  the  heathen  who  are  not  predominately  sinful, 
will  also  be  saved.  But  of  all  who  live  within  the  light  of 
Christendom,  who  have  not  been  'convicted,  converted,  and 
sanctified,'  however  amiable  and  excellent  may  be  their  mere- 
ly moral  character,  there  is  no  hope. 

UNIVERSALISM. 

Infant  spirits  have  no  other  evils  to  be  saved  from  than 
those  of  a  negative  kind,  for  which  there  is  no  doubt  that 
the  heavenly  Father  has  ordained  most  ample  provision. 
It  is  impossible  that  idiots,  or  the  heathen,  or  the  irreligious 
and  the  unbelieving,  shall  have  all  their  imperfections,  and 
superstitions,  and  unholiness,  and  darkness  of  mind,  fasten- 
ed and  perpetuated  upon  them  forever. 

XV,    Which  of  the  Divine  Attributes  are  Illimitable  ? 

CALVINISM. 

Poiver,  Wisdom,  and  JJnchangeability ,  are  the  infinite 
attributes  which  consistently  belong  to  the  Deity  of  Calvin- 
ism ;  because  this  system  does  not  admit  of  an  independent 


REASONS    FOR    OtJR    HOPE.  309 

and  antagonist  principle  of  Evil  in  the  universe,  whose 
mighty  workings  are  operating  against,  and  shall  defeat, 
the  great,  eternal  purposes  of  the  Omnipotent.  But  these 
tremendous  attributes  being  employed  in  the  production  of 
permanent,  eternal  evils.  Goodness,  Love  and  Holiness  are 
but  partial  and  limited,  and  Mercy  and  Justice  nothing,  be- 
cause both  the  salvation  of  the  elect,  and  the  damnation  of 
the  balance,  are  the  results  of 'heaven's  high  Will,' 

ARMINIANISM. 

The  Goodness  oi  i\ie  Lord  is  finite,  because  it  only  ex- 
tends to  the  brief  and  evanescent  lifetime,  with  all  the  mil- 
lions of  the  lost.  The  Meraj  of  the  Lord  is  narrow  and 
partial,  because  it  works  for  the  salvation  of  but  a  few  of  the 
great  family  of  the  Needy,  and  because  it  has  no  compassion 
for  the  suffering  myriads  of  the  damned.  The  Power  of 
the  Lord  is  limited,  because  there  is  a  rival  God  of  Evil, 
by  whose  machinations  the  will  and  purposes  of  the  better 
God  shall  be  vanquished  forever.  Justice  is  injustice,  ca- 
priciousness,  mercilessness,  vindictiveness,  and  cruelty,  be- 
cause it  damns  the  soul  for  what  it  expressly  endowed  it 
with,  total  depravity  ;  because  it  inflicts  upon  the  Innocent 
the  suffering  due  to  the  Guilty  ;  because  it  damns  the  ex- 
piated guilty  over  again  in  their  own  persons  ;  because  it 
frees  the  saved  from  all  the  perdition  due  to  their  sins,  and 
denies  the  sinful  of  all  reward  for  their  §oodi  deeds  ;  because 
its  inflictions  are  so  infinitely  disproporlional  to  its  rewards, 
and  to  offences;  because  they  are  useless,  without  benefit 
to  the  sufferers,  to  God,  or  to  the  saved  ;  because  they  are 
the  retaliation  of  evil  for  evil — yea.  endless  for  momentary  ; 
because  the  demands  of  this  attribute  are  opposed  to  those 
of  all  the  others.  Wisdom  is  also  limited,  because  it  cannot 
devise  means  to  accomplish  half  the  pleasure  of  Goodness 
and  Mercy,  but  has  rather  schemed  to  defeat  it.  And  Love 
is  also  partial  and  transient,  can  only  subdue  part  of  its  en- 
emies, and  shall  be  endlessly  excluded  from  the  mass  of  hu- 
man intelligences.  The  Deity  of  Arminianism  possesses 
not  one  infinite  attribute. 

19 


310  REASONS   FOR   OUR    HOPE. 

UNIVERSALISM. 

God  is  infinitely  Sovereign, — nothing  in  the  universe  is 
independent  of  His  sustaining  and  governing  power,  noth- 
ing ab  olutely  counter  to  His  eternal  purposes. 

God  is  infinitely  Good, — all  souls  shall  eternally  share 
the  riches  of  His  Kindness  and  Benevolence. 

God  is  infinitely  Merciful, — permits  or  produces  House- 
less, entice  evil,  and  his  Compassion  eternally  lives  for  all 
His  works. 

God  is  infinitely  Just, — evil  shall  not  prevail,  but  shall 
be  universally  overcome  with  Right-eousness. 

God  is  infinitely  Wise, — unbounded  skill  and  endless  re* 
sources  are  at  His  command,  for  the  perfect  consummation 
of  his  purposes, 

God  is  infinite  in  Knowlecge, — no  event  in  the  wide 
eternity  of  His  being  was  ever  concealed  from  His  notice. 

God  is  infinite  in  Power, — will  eternally  perform  all  His 
good  pleasure. 

God  is  infinitely  Holy, — all  the  universe  shall  be  freed 
from  impurity,  and  conformed  to  His  own  nature. 

God  is  infinitely  Impartial, — He  will  make  every  thing 
perfectly  excellent  in  its  crder. 

The  Love  of  God  is  infinite, — embraces  all  the  sinful 
race,  and  will  not  cease  its  renovating  operations,  until  all 
souls  shall  be  moulded  into  its  likeness. 

The  Faithfulness  of  God  is  infinite, — never  can  He 
abandon,  or  cease  to  love,  any  creature  of  His  workmanship. 

The  Unchangeability  of  God  is  infinite, — nothing  can 
influence,  surprise,  or  disconcert  Him;  and  His  Love  is  aa 
univrrsal  and  invariable  in  eternity  as  in  time, 

God  is  eternally  Omnipresent, — there  is  no  place  in  the 
universe  where  any  can  get  beyond  the  power  of  His  Love 
and  protection. 

XVL     Conclusions. 

The  Calvinist  acknowledges  that  Universalism  is  vastly 
preferable  to  Arminianism,  which  is  so   manifestly  full  of 


REASONS  FOR  OUR  HOPE.  Slj 

impossible  absurdities  and  contradictions,  and  so  dishonour- 
able to  the  Dignity,  the  Power  and  Wis  'om  of  God.  Yel 
he  thinks  it  to  be^ar  safer  to  believe  in  reprobation,  end- 
less torments,  total  depravity,  &c.,  than  in  a  Universal  Father 
of  infinite  Goodness,  Equity,  and  Love,— ah,  he  shudders 
at  the  pitiful  apprehension,  tha*  th's  doctrine  of  Universal 
Grace,  is  'too  good  to  be  true.' 

The  Arminian  grants  that  Universalism  is  altogether 
more  rational,  and  more  worthy  of  the  Divine  Goodness  and 
excelle-cy  than  Calvinism ;  yet  be  is  afraid  that  'he 
ihdil  heWeveih.  x\oi  [in  devils  and  hells]  :\ia\\  be  damned,' — 
that  a  view  of -the  Grace  of  God,  which  bringelh  Salvation 
to  All  Men,'  has  no  such  tendency  as  'teaching  us  to  deny 
ungodliness,  and  to  live  soberly  and  righteously.' 

The  Universalist  admits  that  the  system  of  Calvin  pos- 
sesses an  essential  merit  which  does  not  belong  to  Armin- 
ianism,  that  of  being  uniformly  consistent  wiih  itself;  and 
that  if  endless  misery  were  true,  it  were  impossible  for  it  to 
be  brought  about  on  any  other  principle  than  that  which 
Calvinism  defines,  namely,  the  absolute  Will  of  God.  But 
he  insists,  that  while  both  systems  comprise  many  of  the 
essential  truths  of  the  Gospel,  md  faithfully  confess  the 
transcendent  excellency  of  all  its  moral  precepts, — that  the 
admission  of  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery  involves  both 
into  many  sacreligious  errors, — errors  that  are  highly  derog' 
atory  to  the  character  of  God,  and  utterly  inconsistent  with 
the  example  of  Christ,  and  the  teachings  of  Revelation, 
and  positively  injurious  to  the  moral  and  religious  culture 
of  man, — sentiments  that  have  been  fastened  upon  our  gos- 
pel in  the  midnight  ages  of  the  Church,  that  were  not  en- 
tertained by  the  earlier,  and  the  most  learned  Fathers, — 
that  were  introduced  by  venomous-minded,  bulrherous-spir- 
ited  converts  from  Paganism, — established  by  the  terrors  of 
ecclesiastical  tyranny, — perpetuated  by  tradition,  ignorance, 
and  rivers  of  blood, — and  now  sanctified  and  venerated 
through  hereditary  adherence.  But  with  regard  to  Univer- 
salism,  nothing  more  excellent  and  desirable  can  possibly 


312 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE. 


be  conceived  of,  nothing  can  be  so  resplendent  of  the  glorj' 
of  God,  so  beautifully  illustrative  of  the  character  of  our 
Lord  and  Master, — so  worthy  of  the  name  of  Christianity. 
Yet  if  there  be  anything  better,  under  the  sacred  banner 
of  religious  faith,  that  can  be  shown, — anything  more  per- 
fect, more  soul-exalting,  more  God-like,  let  the  celestial 
standard  be  unfurled, — and  0,  how  speedily  and  joyfully 
we  will  gather  around  the  ramparts  of  its  diviner  glory ! 


REASONS    FOR    OUR    HOPE.  313 


"I've  search'd  the  Sacred  Volume  through, 

Its  truth  divine  to  learn, 
And  oh,  enrapturing  to  my  view, 

What  glories  I  discern  ! 

Farewell  to  doubling  fears  and  pains, 

Tliose  tyrants  of  the  mind  ; 
The  truth  has  burst  their  galling  chains, 

They  can  no  longer  bind. 

I'll  trust  the  Promise  of  Thy  word. 

Till  that  triumphant  hour, 
When  Every  Creature  shall  be  heard. 

Praising  th'  Almighty  Pow'r. 

When  the  Ransom'd,  Universal  throng, 

To  praise  the  Great  I  AM, 
Shall  join  their  voices  in  the  song, 

01  Moses  and  the  Lamb. 

Then  let  its  persecuting  foes. 

This  precious  Faith  revile. 
Securely   still  will  1  repose. 

In  my  Redeemer's  smile. 

My  anxious  soul  in  peace  shall  rest 

On  this  transporting  theme. 
For  all  our  kindreds  shall  be  blest. 

With  life  and  joy  supreme." 


Rev.  L.  C.  Browns. 


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